KR OOO: The Medals of Ikki Tousen
by Kamen Rider Chrome
Summary: Another collaboration from KR Chrome and Ten-Faced Paladin, and idea from Tailsmo4ever. When the Greeed awaken, the Fighters will face a threat that is as ancient as they are. Now, an ancient hero must rise again to fight the threat of the Greeed.
1. Chapter 1

**OOO MEDALS OF IKKI TOUSEN**

**Chapter 1: Of Fighters, Medals and Greeed**

**Written By: Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome**

**Edited By: Shadow Element 13**

**Idea Provided By: Tailsmo4ever**

* * *

The streets of Kanto seemed deathly quiet. No one was around, no one was driving any cars, and no one was going for any happy-go walks. The playground was also strangely empty. The swings made creepy squeaking noises. Any one who was walking alone would feel like they have just entered some kind of horror movie. That or they were the last person on earth. Well, that all changed when a pack of men on motorcycles suddenly rode through the empty streets.

The motorcyclists stopped in front of the Kanto Art Museum in single file. They all stood there, as if they were waiting for something. It looked like their waiting paid off when the museum door busted open in flames. Out of the flames came something so strange, so out of the ordinary that almost no one would believe it, but it was happening just the same. They were humanoid figures made out of metal coins. The collected coins clanked as the beings walked. In flashes of light, the figures took solid forms. One was green with the form of an insect. The second one was blue and feminine-like with the form of a fish. The third was black and yellow with the look of a cat. And the last one was bulky with the face of a mammoth. All four of the monsters seemed uncaring of the weapons which were pointed at them and simply strode on without a care in the world.

The motorcyclist in the middle, whom appeared to be a leader, picked up a radio from his belt and called his boss, "This is Shintaro Goto Foundation's Ride Vendor 1st Squad motorcycle brigade. The Medals have awakened. Orders?"

"Eliminate them," a grim voice ordered.

"Yes sir." He took out a bazooka cannon and aimed it at the advancing figures. His men mimicked his actions and aimed their bazookas. Wordlessly, they aimed and fired. Instantly, the figures reverted back to coins and took off into the sky, leaving the explosions behind them. Shintaro gestured his hand forward, commanding the brigade to go after the retreating metal beings.

The first squad chased after one of the four clusters to a highway overpass before it reconfigured into the form of the insect monster. It was coloured mainly back and green with chitin-like chest armour which had a yellow circle in the centre of its chest with green surrounding it, making plates that looked like muscles. From its shoulders ran long antennae not unlike a grasshopper while its arms were covered with black armour with a pair of long serrated blades coming form its right wrist. Its head was round with a long green visor which had round ends and a silver mouthplate which had the look of mandibles. Its final look was the horns which grew from its head that looked like kuwagata beetle horns. What did seem odd was that its legs didn't seem to have any sort of covering and instead looked like ancient bandaging not unlike what a mummy would have.

The insect monster watched as the two riders who pursued it rode at him with their weapons being aimed at its form. Uncaring, it leapt into the air, much like how a grasshopper would, and came back down, landing on both bikes which had the unfortunate luck of riding close together. Grabbing the riders by their necks, the insect monster leaped back into the sky, letting the motorcycles crash. Once reaching the apex of its jump, the monster let the pair go. The pair fell screaming to the ground before they landed with loud thuds on the concrete, leaving splatters of red across the stone surface. Landing on the ground once again, the insect beast smugly strolled away from the scene.

Not too far away, in front of a tunnel which went underground, the second mass of silver coins converged together to form the mammoth creature. Its legs were powerful and covered from head to toe in tarnished silver armour which spoke of power and endurance. Its feet seemed more like an elephant's rather than a humanoids. Its head seemed like a helmet with a small black visor with a short horn coming out of its forehead. On either side of where the jaw would be was a pair of tusks with a small trunk sticking out where the mouth would be. However, where torso and arm armour should have been was simply a humanoid torso and arms covered in black and brown wrappings, again, like a mummy.

The elephant creature just stood, staring dumbly at the two riders which were racing towards him, shooting with reckless abandon. The bullets collided with it, but the creature didn't seem to notice at all. Instead, as the riders drew closer, likely aiming to ram it, the monster smashed its fists into the motorcycles, crushing the front ends like tin cans and sending them end over end, riders and all, behind it before they crashed into the ground and exploded. The monster didn't seem all that concerned with the destruction that it had caused though. Instead, it just scratched its head like a monkey and began shuffling away, looking for something else to do.

Inside the tunnel appeared the third mass of coins which became the female fish-like monster. Its head seemed to have a helmet that looked like the body of a shark/whale hybrid of some sort that ended with her bright blue eyes. Her face was silver and had a rigid covering over her mouth. Her shoulders were covered with a dark blue cape that ran down her back almost regally, but her torso and arms were covered in black and brown bandages. Her legs were trim and smooth, coloured silver as they ended in high heel boots. Down the front of her legs were studs which made her legs seem almost like octopus tentacles.

The female beast seemed rather bored with the two motorcyclists which were charging at her while raising their guns. With a ladylike, but impatient, snort, she shot out her hand at them with an open palm. From it, a blast of water surged forward, quickly gaining the size of a small tidal wave which crashed against the riders, sending them and their bikes sprawling backwards. The two quickly crashed into the ground with their rides, but the fish monster didn't stop shoot until they were cleared out of the tunnel. Satisfied that they were far enough away from her, she stopped the water pressure, allowing the two to slump, unmoving. Seeing her task complete, the fish monster began walking away with a dainty giggle.

At the opposite end of the tunnel the last mass of coins merged together to form the cat monster as it landed on the ground in a crouch. Its face was certainly feline, but made of black steel with metal studs on the forehead. Dark yellow cords not unlike dreadlocks came from the back of its head while its lower jaw was made of gray steel. Its torso was covered with more black armour with a yellow orb in the centre with a silver strip coming up the middle. The pectorals of the armour were covered in more metal studs which matched its shoulders. The monsters arms were covered in large black gauntlets which ended in sharp metal claws and once more covered in silver studs like the rest of the armour. However like its comrades, it was missing something, in this case, the armour for its legs. Rather than some covering like the rest of its armour, the monster's legs were merely brown and black bandages not unlike a mummy.

Watching the riders come at it, the monster snickered before leaping into the air. Somehow disobeying the laws of physics, it began spinning in their air at a ridiculous speed. The riders had no chance to dodge as the beast came at them**;** striking them so hard loud cracks could be heard from their torsos. At the same time, the force of the blows send them sailing off their bikes and crashing into the asphalt with loud thuds. Neither rider moved after that. Landing on the ground again, the cat monster laughed and simply began to stroll away as if bored.

Watching a monitor in front of the former museum light up with red light, the leader of the squad touched his radio again to relay what was happening. "Sir, the entire squadron has been eliminated. We were unable to subdue the Greeed."

"Understood," the voice at the other end of the line spoke. "Emergency crews will be there shortly. Return to base until further instruction."

"Hai!" the rider nodded before he shut down the radio. Offering a moment of silence for his fallen comrades, he hit the ignition to his motorcycle and began to drive away from the scene.

* * *

**Kougami Foundation HQ**

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you," a middle-aged man with black hair in a red suit and apron sang as he put the finishing touches to what appeared to be a white birthday cake by writing in chocolate icing while a gramophone singing the traditional 'Happy Birthday' song sang in the background. He was in a skyrise office filled with plush furniture and the only other person in the room was a woman in a frilly pink outfit. Continuing to write, the man continued to sing as he finished the cake, "Happy Birthday dear…Greeed, Happy Birthday to you~"

"Are you sure it was wise to place the Greeed's tomb here in Kanto, Kaichou?" asked the woman with a slight tone of concern in her voice. "You know as well as I do that the Fighters will not simply lay back and let them do as they wish. They will fight them."

"Precisely why I had the tomb placed in Kanto Satonaka-kun!" the man, Kougami, grinned as he finished his cake. "The Fighters desire is the perfect counterpoint to the desire of the Greeed! The Fighters do destroy in their battles, but they fight with their desire to create their kingdoms such as they have done for centuries!" licking some icing from his fingers, he continued. "A desire powerful enough to create kingdoms is power which even the Greeed would be forced to reckon with, and who has a stronger desire for this creation than the three kings?"

"Ryubi Gentoku, Sousou Motoku, and Hakufu Sonsaku," the woman nodded, looking to a book titled _The Romance of the Three Kingdoms_ which was on a desk in front of her. It was opened up to a page describing the leaders of the three kingdoms. "You believe they will be the Yang to the Yin of the Greeed?"

"I have already seen it myself," Kougami smiled. "Their desire for creation will be the key to thwarting the Greeed's desire for destruction."

Smiling at the sight of his completed cake, Kougami turned to look out the window of his office over the city.

* * *

The four beings identified as the Greeed entered a tunnel with banners coloured green, yellow, blue and grey hanging over the entrance, somehow appearing with just their presence alone. All four travelled through the tunnel without much of a care for anything, but it was when the bulky monster began to notice that something was wrong. The elephant-like Greeed felt his body tingling and in a slow voice spoke, "My…body…feels…weird…" The other three monsters immediately took note of their slow comrade's words and immediately began to check themselves over. To their displeasure, they finally seemed to notice that their incompleteness extended further than just missing pieces of armour.

The female Greeed spoke up, looking over her armour-less arms and torso, "It looks like we have an insufficient amount of medals, Core Medals to be precise."

The insect Greeed spoke, "What happened to us? Where are the rest of our Core Medals?"

The feline Greeed, in a lax manner, decided to speak, "I saw Ankh grab some of them."

"Ankh?" the elephant Greeed scratched his head.

"Doesn't he know what will happen to us?" the female Greeed stated.

"Damn him," the insect Greeed swore clenching its fist in rage.

"So then," the cat Greeed began, resting its hands behind its head, strolling lazily along the tunnel. "What should we do about it?"

"We find Ankh and take back our Core Medals, that's what!" the insect Greeed snapped, glaring at his comrade. If the rage was supposed to intimidate him, the cat Greeed didn't show it. Neither did the female or the elephant Greeed seem to be intimidated either. Of course, the female was long since used to the antics of her comrades while the elephant was probably not bright enough to really understand why it should be intimidated.

"And how do you propose we do that?" asked the fish Greeed. "With our power diminished because of our lack of Core Medals, it is going to be that much harder to find Ankh."

"I don't care!" the insect Greeed snapped. "I'll find him if I have to tear this human city down myself!"

Watching the insect Greeed go on the verge of a tantrum, the elephant Greeed simply scratched his head, "Find…Ankh? …oh…idea," Reaching to its own arm, the elephant Greeed pressed its fingers against the skin before they phased through it like it was water. After a moment of rummaging inside its own body, the Greeed brought out a silver coin which was the same kind as its body was made of. It was marked with an X on one side, but the other had an image of a bear or it.

"Hmmm?" the cat Greeed hummed, seeing that his comrade was up to something. "Gameru, what are you doing?"

The elephant Greeed, now known as Gameru, simply brought the coin up to his head. In the centre of his forehead a coin slot not unlike one found on a vending machine suddenly appeared. Uncaring of his sudden new facial feature, Gameru simply dropped the coin into the slot, making a metallic ringing noise. Once the coin was inside, the slot vanished altogether. Gameru then trembled as a gray and black void opened in his back depositing a creature onto the ground with a meaty thud.

Standing up, the creature revealed itself to have a bear's head with dangling earrings on its ears with a metal collar around its neck. Its arms and chest were strongly muscled and furry with red metal disks on the torso and shoulders. Its hands had metal orbs on the back of them and its hands were in fact large paws with black nails. It wore a simple loincloth decorated with animal bones of an undetermined species while its legs were wrapped in metal bindings with what appeared to be miniature bear traps on its kneecaps.

"Find…Ankh," Gameru ordered his creation. "Get…Core…Medals…"

"Nn!" the beast nodded before it dashed away, exiting the tunnel. Gameru then turned to look at his fellow Greeed, almost asking 'did I do good?'

"Well, it seems Gameru has the right idea for once!" the insect Greeed snorted.

"Why work ourselves to the bone when we can have a Yummy do it for us?" asked the cat Greeed with a chuckle. "I never thought I'd see the day where Gameru had a good idea."

"Good for you Gameru-chan!" the fish Greeed cooed in an almost motherly tone.

"Heh," the elephant Greeed laughed. If its face was more human, it would have been blushing.

"I'm going to go find a human to make a powerful Yummy," the insect Greeed announced as he began walking away from the tunnel. "Don't wait up for me."

"Oi, oi, I'm going on the search too," the cat Greeed laughed as it went in a different direction. "This sounds like fun!"

"It's not polite to leave a lady behind!" the fish Greeed scolded as she too left the scene.

Gameru merely shrugged and trotted off to parts unknown. As the four Greeed went their own ways, the four banners which represented them furled up and vanished, leaving no trace of the four monsters' appearance.

* * *

Many people of Kanto were in an uproar over what had happened to the museum. A crowd of onlookers had collected as emergency crews put out the fires and tended to what wounded there might be while the police investigated. Naturally the civilians were put behind a protective line so that no evidence would be accidentally compromised. However, in the wake of what the police assumed to be a bombing to cover up a robbery, not much hope was placed for evidence. Even if there was some, chances were that it was probably damaged or incinerated by the explosions.

Among the crowds was a teenage girl who was wearing a red skirt with a white blouse under a yellow vest, complete with a red ribbon. Perched to her ear was a jade magatama which sparkled in the sunlight. She had blonde hair which reached to about her shoulders and green eyes which held an immature sparkle in them, like someone who hadn't grown up in some way or another. Although while she was immature in some ways, her body certainly wasn't. It sported a figure which many girls worked hard to maintain and a breast size which had many of those same girls green with envy, although she never really took notice to how people reacted to her breasts. While she looked like a normal high school girl, she was in truth the leader of Nanyo Academy, her school. Her name was Hakufu Sonsaku.

Next to her was a young man wearing a male version of her uniform and he had short dark hair. The only real remarkable thing about him was the magatama on his ear which made him stick out as compared to others his age. However, that all just hid the true strength he had underneath. His name was Kokin Shuyu and he was Hakufu's cousin and in the eyes of the other students of Nanyo, her subordinate. Kokin was a generally easy-going guy and easy to get along with. However he was fiercely protective of Hakufu and despite being blood related, had something of a crush on her although he never tried to act on it. As Hakufu was generally childish and immature, it was his duty to be the responsible one when it came time to buckle down and be serious. Of course, that rarely happened since Hakufu could be a surprisingly reliable person.

"Hey Kokin," the blonde spoke up, checking out the destruction. "What do you think happened?"

"Well, I don't know," Kokin answered, scratching his head. "Someone mentioned something about thieves bombing the museum but no one has any answers right now."

"Who'd want to blow up an art museum though?" asked Hakufu in confusion. "Was there something a Fighter would want inside?"

"Aside from our magatamas and the Gyokuji, I don't think there's any kind of antique that the Fighters would be interested in," Kokin shrugged, just as stumped for answers as his cousin was. Sighing, he began to turn away from the sight. "No use pondering about it now though. We've got to get to school. You're the leader now if you haven't forgotten."

"Oh, right!" Hakufu nodded with a grin. "Lead the way Kokin!"

The Kanto area was by far not a peaceful place. Seven schools, Rakuyo, Kyosho, Nanyo, Seito, Yoshu, Youshuu, and Ryoshuu were at war with each other in a sometimes brutal gang battle to declare sovereignty of all of Kanto. Normally it was just seen as kids playing tough and to the adult community it was. However, in truth, the members of the battle were in fact chosen by fate to harbour the spirits of warriors from thousands of years ago who battled in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a brutal re-enactment of the ancient war. Further pushing the idea of fate was that all of the people in the war were named after the warrior that they were channelling.

Things were at a standstill for the moment since the death of Totaku, the leader of Rakuyo and formerly the strongest of the seven schools. In an attempt to avoid his fate and death at the hands of his number 2 Ryofu Hosen, Totaku had used a poisonous chi technique on Hakufu and threatened to let her die if she did not kill Ryofu. However, despite her best attempts Ryofu managed to kill Totaku in a suicide technique which ended her life. In his last moments, Totaku undid his technique on Hakufu and implanted his soul in her so to get revenge on his spy, Saji Genpou, otherwise known as Shishi Ouin. Again, he was foiled by the Haouryuu Hakufu possessed and his soul was devoured.

In the wake of Totaku's demise, Rakuyo was taken over by Kyosho, led by Sousou Motoku, one of the three most powerful leaders in the ancient era and a true leader in the modern era. Since Kyosho took over Rakuyo, it left Youshuu and Yoshu to rot since they were not included in the backroom bargain which Rakuyo had made in attempts to save itself. Despite the tectonic shift in power, little to no action was undertaken. Instead, Hakufu was elected by the Fighters of Nanyo to be the new leader as her heritage demanded and all of the schools were left to try and see how they could best profit from the shift in power. Scuffles happened here or there thanks to overly-ambitious Fighters, but nothing major had happened as of yet.

"Hey, wait up Kokin!" Hakufu cried, trying to squeeze through the crowds like her cousin had done. Since he was smaller, he had an easier time of it. Hakufu though was much taller and bigger so getting through crowds was somewhat more difficult at times, especially when it was past teenage boys who would purposefully make it harder so they could feel her breasts pressed against them. Not that she noticed such things in her rush to get to her cousin.

"Hey Kokin!"

*JINGLE*

"Huh?" Hakufu blinked, hearing an odd jingling noise. Looking down, she saw that she had kicked a coin and that the jingling noise had come from it hitting the stone sidewalk. Kneeling over, she picked up the coin thinking she just might have gotten an extra bit of spending money. When she got a good look at it though, she saw that it was too big to be a Yen coin and that it had a cold outer ring with a red centre decorated with a hawk on the front and a line on the back.

"Weird," Hakufu muttered, entranced by the pretty object.

"Hakufu! Come on!" Kokin called, snapping his cousin out of her trance.

"Oh, right!" the strawberry blonde gasped. Tucking the coin into her breast pocket, she dashed for her cousin. "Coming!"

As Hakufu ran, she didn't notice something crawling around a nearby tree. It was predominantly red with wing-like protrusions coming from its forearm armour. Its hand was scaled and had black nails not unlike what would be found on a bird. It wore rings on some of its fingers, but nothing gaudy or unnecessary. However, that was where the description ended for that was all the being crawling on the three was an arm.

"That's _mine_!" the angry arm spoke out.

* * *

**Seito**

Seito Private School was a rather pleasant place to go to school for most people. At the very least the Fighters there were able to keep the fighting down to a minimum while inside its boundaries. On the outside or during a crisis then all bets were off. It was also the base of two of the top fighters in all of Kanto, Chou-un Shiryuu and Kanu Unchou, both feared and respected for their skills in battle and for the high count of victories they earned.

At the moment the leader of Seito, Ryubi Gentoku, was busy at a desk in the library, enjoying the literature her school had to offer.

Ryubi was in fact a gentle girl, not at all like one would expect the leader of one of the most powerful schools to act like. She hated fighting and would have rather preferred to read a nice book instead of punching someone's lights out. She was of average height and had long brown hair which she kept tied into two ponytails which hung in front of her. She wore glasses over her sparkling green eyes and it made her look very cute while her demeanour made her seem so vulnerable, which without her bodyguards, she usually was. However, she did manage to possess the largest pair of breasts in her entire school, which she never really seemed to care about but most of, if not all of the boys in her school did. She was somewhat of a figurehead while her bodyguards/best friends helped her keep things in check in Seito's territory.

Ryubi was alone in the library, which was something of a rarity for her since she almost always had one of her bodyguards with her. They were paranoid that since Ryubi wasn't much of a fighter, she'd be seen as an easy target by the other schools and such felt she had to be protected at all times. The only leeway she got was at school or at the shrine where they all lived, but that only brought a hair of leeway as it was.

Enjoying the works of foreign and domestic literature, she didn't notice silver coins with some odd blue ones spilling in an open window and flying through the air. The coins pooled together, not once hitting each other enough to make a sharp sound nor did they touch the wooden floor. Gently, they converged together to build into the form of the fish Greeed before solidifying and becoming the monster in question. She had formed inside one of the aisles of books and as such Ryubi did not notice her, but it was doubtful if she would notice the monster even if it appeared in front of her since she was so engrossed in the book in front of her.

"Hmmm," the fish Greeed hummed as she slowly and gently walked out from the aisles and slowly drew up upon the oblivious teenage girl from behind. When she was close enough, the female Greeed took a moment to ponder the teenage girl she was looking at, as if there were something special about her. Then, raising her arms, she slowly reached towards Ryubi with grasping fingers and…

*MOOSH! MOOSH!*

…groped her more than sizable assets.

"KYAAAAHHHH!" Ryubi screamed, completely caught off guard by the sudden groping. Squirming in her seat, she managed to get out of the Greeed's grip and scamper away from her unconventional attacker. Turning around with a clearly flushed face, the leader of Seito turned from embarrassed to downright terrified as her face paled. "AHHHHHHHHH!"

"Hmmm, my, my," the fish Greeed purred as she clenched her fingers and looked down at her own bound chest. "I did not know that humans could develop quite so…fully, like you have. Why, I think I might be jealous."

"Mwu…uh….wha…who…are you?" Ryubi squeaked in fear, reflexively covering her chest. Was this some kind of perverted demon like she heard about in some of the more horror-themed books she had seen in the past? If she weren't so terrified, she would have perhaps smiled at the thought that her books had some good after all in warning her about such things. She'd read it from cover to cover and knew exactly how to beat them.

"So polite too," the Greeed giggled. "I suppose I can answer. My name is Mezul. I am what you would call a Greeed. To answer your next question, I came here to see you."

"M-m-me?" Ryubi trembled, her legs shaking as Mezul began to step closer to her.

"Yes," Mezul nodded, reaching out and stroking a length of Ryuubi's hair. Her voice then turned soothing in a seductive sort of way. "Don't be afraid. I promise I won't hurt you. In fact, you'll enjoy what I have to do with you. All I need for you to do is chase after your desire."

"My…my desire?" Ryubi gulped. She wanted to run, but for some reason her legs just wouldn't allow it!

"Yes. Now, hold still," Mezul purred. Reaching to her shoulder, she stuck her fingers through her skin much like Gameru did before and produced one of the silver medals which made up her body. This one had an X on its back, but also had a shark carved on the opposite side. Bringing it up to the still terrified Ryubi, Mezul witnessed a coin slot appear on the leader's forehead. Giggling, she popped the coin inside and let the slot vanish. Ryubi immediately stiffened and her eyes went cross as a blue and black void appeared in her back which spat out what looked like a large egg sack of some kind of fish that stuck to the ceiling above one of the desks in the library.

"There, that wasn't so bad," Mezul giggled as Ryubi stood in her daze. "Now, enjoy your books. Make sure to read plenty. Ta-ta!" With a wave, Mezul's body collapsed into silver coins again before flying out the window. In her wake, Ryubi stiffly took a seat underneath the egg sack and immediately grabbed a nearby book someone had left behind and began to read it aggressively, racing down the printed lines and turning the pages with such force she threatened to tear the pages.

* * *

**Kyosho**

"BASICS! BASICS!"

Kyosho Academy was alive with the noises fists hitting wood near the back where most of the sports teams would practice. The spot in question was set up with several training dummies that the school kendo team would use when they trained, but in this case, it was being used by one of the Fighters who travelled the school's halls.

He was a tanned guy and heavily muscled. He wore a white shirt with khaki shorts and a white hat on his head. His hair was messy and brown, which matched the rest of his skin tone and he had a small goatee while on his ear hung one of the magatama. He was one of the trusted lieutenants of the leader of Kyosho, Kakoton Genjou. Out of the numerous Fighters, he was something of an oddball. He constantly preached about the foundation of the basics of fighting and always fought with only basic moves in his fights. Normally that might not be so dangerous to an experienced fighter, but Kakoton had an insane amount of strength in his limbs that he was able to call upon. He was living proof that as useful as advanced skills were, raw power counted for a lot in a fight.

"BASICS!" the tanned teen shouted, punching his training dummy before it shattered under the sheer force which he had used in the punch. As the wood bits and straw floated to the ground, he let off a sigh and brushed the sweat off of his head, looking solemn.

He'd been feeling sort of bad since the end of the Big Fighter's Tournament, an official tournament all of the schools participated in order to see who would be the next reigning champions to receive the Gyokuji and thus be the unofficial rulers. He had been on the team Kyosho fielded and they had managed to win the whole thing even with Rakuyo backing out and not even fighting. His distress stemmed from the fact that he had taken tips on how to beat one of Nanyo's fighters, Hakufu Sonsaku, down so easily from her own mother of all people.

Kakoton had met the flirty and hyperactive Goei when she returned his jacket the day after he had given it to Hakufu after they beat up some Fighters who thought they were tough and left the girl with a hole in her dress big enough to flash the world her goods if she wasn't careful. It was a nice gesture, but all of his friends began thinking that he liked older women and managed to snag a hottie. In truth, Kakoton was more interested in Hakufu, but with his friends asking for the story of how he snagged a MILF or worshipping the ground he walked on for doing so, no one believed him. It got worse when she came to all of Kyosho's fights in the tournament and cheered like a crazed fangirl, giving more substance to the rumours. The last straw came when Hakufu heard the rumours and started believing them, making him feel like he had blown any chance at her for good.

He wanted to find her and try to explain, but he was just too busy what with the power shift and taking Rakuyo under their wing and adding Kaku to the ranks of higher ups. Kakoton didn't trust the Rakuyo strategist and he doubted that she was being completely level with them about her intentions, not after she so blatantly challenged them to try and attack Rakuyo after they found out Rakuyo wasn't going to fight in the tournament. Kyosho was still trying to stabilize after that particular shift.

"Man, this bites," he sighed scratching his head.

"Wow, that was pretty cool," a new voice spoke up. "You don't see humans able to do that too often."

Eyes widening, Kakoton twisted to the source while taking a fighting stance, fearing that an assassin had come to Kyosho to try and off Sousou. However, even his battle experienced mind screeched to a halt when he saw some kind of cat man lounging on the wall surrounding the school. At first he thought it was someone in a costume, but that ended when he saw that the detail of the armour and how the face would move as it breathed.

"Just what the heck are you supposed to be?" Kakoton asked with a frown as he tensed up, ready to fight.

"Name's Cazali," the cat monster introduced as it hopped off the wall. Strolling lazily towards Kakoton, he continued speaking. "I'm what you would call a Greeed. And you are going to do something for me."

"Like hell I am," Kakoton frowned, gritting his teeth. He did not like the vibe that was coming off this thing and despite how lazy it was acting; he knew that it didn't have any kind of good intentions in store for him, or anyone else for that matter.

"Oh, you wanna fight then?" asked Cazali with a grin in his voice.

"Damn straight I do!" Kakoton bellowed, throwing a punch at the monster with all his muscle behind it. Normally that much force would allow him to break solid rock and really mess up a person and he was confident the monster wouldn't fare any better. Snorting, Cazali raised his hand with an open palm towards Kakoton and his incoming attack. The punch smashed into Cazali's hand, but rather than send the monster flying, the Greeed remained stationary as if he hadn't been hit at all.

"Wha-?"

"That stung a little. Now try mine," Cazali laughed. Rearing his free hand back, he unleashed a punch which slammed into Kakoton's stomach, making the Fighter double over and even lift off the ground in the process. Breath completely driven from his lungs, he began to drop to his knees only for Cazali's bandaged knee to meet his face, knocking him onto his back with a loud thud that kicked up dust and bits of broken training dummy.

"UGH…" Kakoton gasped, his world a blur of colours and stars as he attempted to get his vision back. Pain rocketed through him like never before and it made moving very painful. Although it had never happened before, he had been taken down with just two blows

"Well, that was fun for all five seconds," Cazali shrugged as he flicked his wrist and produced a silver coin. It looked almost exactly like the ones which made up his body, but it had the image of a panther etched onto its surface. Kneeling over the stunned Kakoton, Cazali watched a coin slot appear on the boy's head before he dropped the coin into place with ease. As soon as it vanished, Kakoton began to convulse and grunt as black and yellow vortexes appeared on his body, shooting bandages that wrapped around his arms, legs, and neck, making him look like he was in the hospital or coming out of an Egyptian tomb.

"Now then, go release your desire," Cazali laughed strolling away from the downed Fighter.

Grunting, the half mummified Kakoton got back to his feet, his eyes flashing with a yellow power. Clenching his fists, he stumbled over to one of the training dummies before punching it with all of his strength, obliterating it and scattering the remains feet away from where they started.

"**BASICS!**"

* * *

**Nanyo**

"Ooooooh. *gasp* Saji-samaaaaa. *Oh!* C-class is about *groan* about to…St-ART!"

"Well then, I'd better finish up. I do so hate to leave a woman hanging."

The pair of voices came from a secluded spot on Nanyo Academy's campus behind the equipment shed. Behind it and leaning against the wall were a pair of students. The first was a female with dark hair and a ponytail wearing the girls**'** uniform. She had a simple ponytail and a magatama, but the colour indicated her as a low-class Fighter. Pressed up behind her with his hands softly fondling her chest beneath her top and being active underneath her skirt was a taller young man with dishwater blond hair which reached his shoulders and had a natural smirk on his face. His voice was suave and cool, indicating that this wasn't his first rendezvous with a young woman Normally one might have taken such a meeting inside the equipment shed, but if that had happened he would have tried going all the way and like his latest partner said, class was going to start soon.

Never let it be said that Saji Genpou didn't take his studies as seriously as he did the ladies.

"Oh! Oh! OH!"

"Oh, what is this I found," Saji smirked into his latest find's neck as he explored underneath her skirt. Applying just the _right _amount of pressure and…

"OOOOHHHHHH!" the girl moaned out, her hips trembling with her lower lips clenching fiercely. She gave off the cutest squeak as her body began to tremble, going through throes of ecstasy. Finally she stopped and instead leaned against him, panting softly.

"There you go," Saji smiled, pressing his lips to the girl's neck. "Hope you enjoyed that."

"Yes…oh yes…" the girl panted softly.

"Good then. Now, isn't it time for class for you?" he asked pointedly, but in a teasing manner. However, his hands did not leave their positions on her body despite what he was asking.

"*sigh* right," the girl groaned, reluctantly slipping Saji's hands away before taking the time to fix her top and clean off some of the moisture from her legs. Saji just watched her go about, not really bothering cleaning himself up just yet, preferring to simply watch the girl go. She made a brief goodbye before she headed out, her face still flushed. It just served to remind Saji of his skill with people, preferably the ladies.

Saji's real name was Shishi Ouin and he used to be a spy for Rakuyo. His strength brought him up to the perfect position of one of the Big Four of Nanyo Academy where he could report back to Totaku about what was going on. However, Saji had other plans and instead influenced fellow Big Four member Kannei into killing the former leader of Nanyo Enjutsu with his hypnotic skill. Sadly it drove the boy insane and Saji had to hypnotise the boy into believe Enjutsu was still alive and that he was giving Kannei orders. It served to allow Saji to rule Nanyo from the shadows. In a position of power, he made plans. Where Totaku was attempting to escape his fate, Saji manipulated events to ensure that fate caught up to him while he escaped his own. Totaku was killed, but the dead leader of Rakuyo managed to derail his plans and show him that the fate of the Fighters was not so easily shaken off. Saji had used and hurt a lot of people, executing his plan but his friends at Nanyo forgave him easily enough. Why they did, he wasn't so sure. Still, it felt good to have some true friends for a change instead of minions so he decided to enjoy it while it lasted for the fate of the Fighters may be fickle at times, but it was hardly peaceful.

"Well then," he smiled to himself, cleaning off his fingers on his pant leg. "Now that that the fun's over, I suppose I'd better head out too."

"Not before I get through with you."

Saji was immediately alert when he heard the male voice. Facing a male in a secluded place usually meant that someone wanted something from him. It didn't sound like Gakushu or Kokin so it was most likely someone who wanted a piece of him. All that was left to be determined was that if the voice was either an assassin of some sort or was an angry boyfriend of a girl he had a fling with in the past.

Hey, just because a girl claimed she was taken didn't mean that it wasn't impossible to get together with her to Saji. It just made it more challenging.

"Up here," the voice spoke from above.

Saji looked up in a flash, seeing a figure standing on the roof of the equipment shed. Saji was expecting an assassin or someone even remotely human-looking. Instead, what he got was a bug monster with mummified legs looking down on him.

"What the hell?" Saji gasped, actually losing his cool for a moment.

The bug monster snorted and leapt off of the equipment shed and landed on the ground, kicking dust off the ground. Its eyes were trained completely on Saji, not once breaking its gaze on him. Its posture and voice radiated nothing but ill intent and Saji was incredibly good at reading people. He knew that whatever the bug monster wanted with him, it was for nothing good. So, taking initiative, he lashed out with a kick at the monster. Saji may have been a womanizer, but he was a Fighter too and a damned good one since he was able to join the ranks of the Big Four. However, his kick might as well have been in slow motion as the monster reacted with amazing speed and caught the kick with its hand.

"Hmph! You actually thought a human like you can fight me? Uva of the Greeed?" asked the bug monster with a snort. "I don't know if you're brave or just stupid." Gripping Saji's leg, Uva actually lifted the womanizer off of the ground before slamming him into the side of the equipment shed with enough force to crack its walls. Even as Saji tried to get his bearings back, Uva lifted him up again before slamming him back down into the dirt, leaving an imprint of his body in its wake. Dropping Saji's leg, Uva grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and lifted him up before slamming him into the wall of the equipment shed once again, making it crack further.

"Now hold still!" Uva barked. Sinking his fingers into his own torso, Uva produced one of his silver coins, etched with the image of a bee on one side. Saji grimaced as he felt an opening appear in his head, a metal coin slot. Uva quickly brought the coin up to the slot and dropped it inside, prompting the slot to vanish. Letting Saji go, he watched as a green and black void opened up in his chest before it spat out what looked like a gray and white mummy with red discs attached to random points of his body and eyes which were composed of several slits.

Saji could only gape at what had come out of him despite feeling like a whole portion of him had suddenly vanished from his body. The mummy monster quickly stumbled up to its feet and looked over at Uva questioningly.

"After you feed enough to fully grow, find Ankh and find my Core Medals!" he snapped at the mummy. "Understand?"

"Hai," the mummy nodded before it began to lumber off for parts unknown. Uva just watched it go before likewise heading out of sight, his destination unclear. Saji was left in considerable pain, leaning against the equipment shed wall, trying to get his thoughts together.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hakufu was admiring her new red coin, musing, "It'd make a nice pendant." There was something about the pattern on it. A red hawk with its wings spread represented power and freedom. She was so busy gazing at it, she was only paying minimal attention to where she was going and following Kokin. Never let it be said that despite her best efforts, Hakufu was something of a ditz and had the attention span of a kid when she wasn't in a fight. In short, anything and everything was able to steer her away from anything else.

As she was busy admiring her strange new coin, someone bumped into her and she accidentally dropped the coin. To her distress, it landed on its side and rolled along the ground before it vanished underneath a black vending machine filled with red and blue soda cans."Oh crap!" Dashing to the machine, she kneeled down and began trying to reach for the red coin. She just hoped that it didn't fall into a hidden storm drain or something. She'd never get it back in that case.

"Come on, come on," she whined, grasping underneath the machine as best she could, not quite noticing that she was flashing her panties at those who were passing by. Several teenage boys and older men took in the sight, several getting hit by their significant others for their wandering eyes. Still, Hakufu didn't quite notice or care since she was still trying to get her coin. "Please, please, I want it back!" Pressing her arm even further under the machine, she felt her fingers touch something made of steel. After a moment of grasping, she managed to drag it into her clutches and bring it back out, revealing the crimson face of the hawk coin. "All right!"

"Good. Now you can give it back to me."

Hakufu blinked and looked up to where she heard the voice talking to her. To her shock, the voice didn't come from a person**;** rather it came from a floating red arm that was just hovering in the air beside the vending machine.

"Aaahh!" she shouted and as a Fighter her reflexes often took control as she swung her arm, smacking the floating red arm into the side of the vending machine. The red limb gave off a grunt from the impact before sliding down the side of the machine.

"Ow…" the arm groaned, "That…hurt…"

Hakufu was off like a shot, wanting to put as much distance between her and the freaky arm as she could. Barrelling through the streets, she caught up with her cousin in record time, "Kokin! Kokin! Kokin! Heeeeellllp!" she cried out, lunging at her relative.

"Huh?" the short-haired boy blinked as he turned to see what his cousin was freaking out about now. However, he didn't get to ask what the problem was before Hakufu's breasts ploughed into his face and both cousins met the ground with a loud thud.

"Kokiiiiiiin! I'm being chased by a weird floating arm!" Hakufu cried. "It talked to me and it was trying to take away this cool red coin I found today! It was so creepy and I didn't know what to do and you've got to help meeeee!" She blubbered and cried, hugging Kokin close to her body.

"Mph! Mrph!" Kokin struggled beneath his cousin's grip. Normally he'd fantasized about being in a position like this, but his sense of right and wrong along with his sense of propriety dulled any kind of secret thrill he got over being this close to Hakufu's chest without any kind of backlash happening to him. Of course, it would be better if he was able to speak…and breathe.

"Kokin, why aren't you saying anything?" asked Hakufu, wanted an answer or some reassurance in the face of the scary floating arm she had just faced. Fighters good and bad she could handle, but floating limbs were just freaky!

"I assume it's because you are smothering him," A familiar voice spoke, making Hakufu pale. Looking over her shoulder, she felt her heart drop as she spotted the floating arm she'd been running from already very close and slowly drifting closer to her. "Now, hand over my Core Medal!"

A scream was heard but it was not Hakufu's. The arm was instantly alert as it sensed something approaching, something that it didn't need to have hanging around and this moment in time.

"Yummy…" the arm growled, stiffening.

"I am not food!" Hakufu cried out, anime tears flying from her eyes. Kokin's struggles grew more intense as he was pressed further into Hakufu's sinful valley, but the thrills from his guilty side got all the greater because of it.

"I don't want to eat you, idiot! I want my-!" the arm began to rant.

Crashes and screams became more violent before the two Nanyo Fighters and the floating arm turned to see a car tossed down the street, followed by a strange bear monster. It was dumbly lumbering down the street, swatting aside anything that got in its way be it a piece of scenery or a person who was too slow. If the odd person was lucky, they just got swatted a fair distance before landing a few feet away with a sore body. The unlucky ones crashed into cars or buildings with a few more injuries, if they survived instead of making interesting red graffiti on some unlucky buildings.

"That's a Yummy," the arm announced.

The Bear Yummy stood at the end of the street that Hakufu, Kokin, and the floating arm were on before it suddenly stopped. Turning, it peered at the two teenagers, making Hakufu squeak in fright as it began to growl. The beast slowly began to approach the trio, and to the surprise of the two Fighters, began to talk!

"Ankh! Hand over the Core Medals!" it demanded loudly.

"Over my dead body!" the red arm, Ankh, denied sharply, clenching his fist.

"You don't even have a body to claim that for!" the Yummy snorted, its approach beginning to speed up. "But if you won't hand them over, I'll just take them!"

With a bellow, the Yummy began its mad charge with its arms raised for powerful slashes. At the same moment, Kokin's eyes sharpened as his Fighter instincts began to kick in. He considered himself an easygoing guy, but in a fight is when his true power came out, the colour of his magatama be damned! Quickly grabbing Hakufu's shoulders, he pried her off of him before he got up to stare down the approaching Yummy, "Hakufu, run!" he ordered, moving into a stance.

"Huh?" both Hakufu and the red arm spoke out in confusion.

"Go!" Kokin barked, beginning his own charge at the monster. It was his duty as a member of the Shu household and as the one who was channelling the original Kokin Shuyu to protect Hakufu at all costs. He had no doubt that this monster was a threat to her and he was going to do his damn hardest to make sure it never laid a hand on her!

"Get out of my way Human!" the Yummy snarled as Kokin charged closer.

Kokin didn't respond and he slipped into the long since memorised patterns of his fighting style. The Yummy bellowed and unleashed a powerful swipe which would have shredded the Shuyu boy if he allowed it to connect. Kokin wasn't one to willingly take a hit as he managed to dance around the strike, being much faster than the muscle-bound Yummy. Seeing his opportunity in the form of an avenue for attack, Kokin took it, unleashing a powerful combo into the monster's chest. The string of attacks went unblocked thanks to the monsters slow speed and as such Kokin managed to make every strike count, aiming to pulverise the monster's torso and make it reconsidering trying to attack with injured organs. Rearing back his fist for one such strike to where the kidneys would be, he heard the monster smirk.

"Pathetic."

*POW!*

Kokin's world was rocked as his jaw exploded with pain and his head twisted to the side from the force of the blow which struck the side of his face. He could feel blood pooling in his mouth from where he accidentally bit his cheek and it felt like his jaw bone had almost snapped from the impact. Quickly gaining back his bearings, he only managed to see the monster take another swipe at him before pain spread from his torso from the monster raking its claws across his body, tearing his short open and making blood shoot from the wounds, if only briefly.

"GAH!" the young man cried as the pain from the attack reach his brain.

"Kokin!" Hakufu screamed out.

"Poor fool," Ankh sighed.

Kokin's mind was a haze of pain as he tried to get himself back into the fight. He hadn't felt this badly hurt since Hakufu beat the crap out of him when she was possessed by her Haouryuu while she was fighting Ukitsu. Still, hadn't any of his attacks affected this monster at all? He had kept striking the torso areas which held the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and other points. How he measured the force of his attacks should have transferred the force to the organs without the bones being much of a problem. Was there just more meat between his fists and the innards than he initially expected or…

"Your mind is wandering!" the Bear Yummy snapped before its clawed fist smashed into Kokin's stomach, making him double over with blood splattering from his mouth and onto the beast's limb. Already dizzy and adding oxygen deprivation to the mix, Kokin was unable to offer any serious resistance when the Yummy grabbed his head in his hands before…

*WHAM!*

…smashing it into the ground, cracking it from the force. Kokin stopped moving after that.

"KOKIN!" Hakufu screamed in horror.

"I'm surprised his head didn't pop like a melon after that," Ankh observed. "His body must be exceptionally tough…"

"Now that the annoyance is dealt with," the Bear Yummy growled, standing up again. "This is your last chance to give me the-!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The Yummy never got to finish its sentence before Hakufu unleashed her fury and traveled the distance between Ankh and the Yummy and unleashed the strongest haymaker punch she could into the monster's face. While not a truly devastating punch, the force and the positioning of it did manage to cause the Yummy to stumble backwards with a grunt. After that, several more powerful punches rained down on the Yummy one right after the other. There was more force behind them than with Kokin, considering the difference between the two in terms of strength and the spirits in which both teens were channelling through their Magatama.

"YOU HURT KOKIN!" the enraged teenage girl screamed, rearing back her fist. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

She lashed out again, aiming at the Yummy's face, but her punch was caught in its hand, easily handling the force she had put behind it.

"Better than the boy, but still too weak to stop me," the Bear Yummy growled before it lifted Hakufu clear off the ground and threw her over its shoulder with ease. The strawberry blonde hit the ground with a thud and a groan. Sitting up, she gave her abused posterior a rub to numb the pain before she got up again. Seeing the Yummy turning to face her, she growled and charged once again.

Ankh clenched his fist. This human was definitely fairing better than her now incapacitated companion but even a human couldn't match a Yummy's power, unless they had help. Also, this human had one of his Core Medals. He couldn't risk losing it now that it was so close. It would appear that the disembodied Greeed arm would need to assist this human.

Hakufu was again sent flying through the air and was about to land hard on the ground when she felt something grab her by the front of the shirt. She blinked. It was that freaky arm again and it'd just saved her. Ankh gently lowered the Fighter onto her feet. "Don't take this personally, but you have something of mine and there's no way I'm letting you get killed by that thing until you return it."

"It…it hurt…Kokin…" Hakufu spoke, tears on her angered red face.

"So, you wish to avenge your friend," spoke Ankh. "Look, that thing is after me and in my condition I can't really fight it. So, you'll have to fight it for me." Hakufu clenched her fists. That was what she was planning to do to begin with. "However, as strong as you are, a human is still a human and can't beat a Yummy, unless…"

"Unless what?" demanded Hakufu. She would have strangled the arm at this point save for the fact that it didn't have a neck to strangle.

"Unless I lend a helping hand, pardon the pun," the arm replied. Floating up, there was a flash of light from its underside before a stone box dropped through its skin. Acting quickly, the arm flew down and caught the box, revealing it had three slots not unlike the kind used for coins on certain kinds of vending machines.

"What?" the Bear Yummy gasped, halting its battle mindset to gape at the box in Ankh's hand. "That…that was used in the sealing!"

"Why, yes it was," Ankh answered before he hovered closer to Hakufu. Pressing the stone box to her waist, the Fighter let out a surprised gasp when the stone shattered to reveal black and blue steel. From the left side, a metal strap wrapped around her waist, securing the item in place before a round disk with a gold edge and a void on one hold so to properly hold it appeared on her right side.

"What…what is this?" asked Hakufu, staring at the belt buckle.

"Something that will help you beat that thing," Ankh answered. "Do you still have my Core Medal? The red coin with the hawk on it."

"Uhhh, right here!" Hakufu nodded, drawing the red coin in question and holding it out in the palm of her hand.

"Good, but you're going to need two more," Ankh spoke. With a flick of his wrist, two more coloured coins appeared between his fingers. One was yellow in the middle and had the face of a tiger etched onto its surface while the other was green with a grasshopper marked on one side. Taking the coins, he slapped them into Hakufu's hand with the red coin. "Now, place the red Medal on the right, yellow in the middle, and green on the left. Hurry!"

"Don't do it!" the Bear Yummy warned, approaching as if it were afraid to get any closer to the belt than it needed to. "You'll seal your fate if you do!"

"Don't listen to him!" Ankh spoke, trying to be louder than the Yummy and thus keep Hakufu's attention. "Do you want to let that thing keep rampaging around and hurting people like it did your male companion? Do you want more people to feel the pain you're feeling right now?"

Hakufu's eyes turned dangerously narrow as her gaze lifted to the Bear Yummy, making it flinch as if it were afraid of her as much as it was the belt, "No." Stepping past Ankh, she slipped the coins into her belt, red, yellow, and green. As she slipped the Grasshopper Medal into its slot, the belt clicked and the buckle tilted into a slant. Ankh then moved into action and quickly grabbed the disk-like object from her side and slipped it into her hand.

"Use this," he ordered. "Swipe the front across the Medals in your belt. Do it and you'll get the power needed to destroy that Yummy. Now do it, henshin!"

"Right!" Hakufu nodded. Raising the O-Scanner, she brought the front down against her belt buckle before drawing it across the front. The belt made three chiming noises as the scanner went across them and produced three rings of red, yellow, and green as the scanner passed.

"Henshin!" she cried out.

"**TAKA!**"

"**TORA!**"

"**BATTA!**"

"**TA-TO-BA TATOBA TA-TO-BA!**"

Colored medals dance around her. The first ring of colored medals spun around her head in a vertical fashion, the second ring spun around his torso in a horizontal fashion and the third surrounded his legs in the same horizontal fashion as the previous set. Huge projections of the three Core Medals in the belt appeared before her, aligning vertically with the red hawk at the top, yellow tiger in the middle and green grasshopper at the bottom before the three of them slammed together to make a new Medal that slammed into her.

Hakufu's entire body became covered in a black bodysuit and armour. In the centre of her chest was a large round circle with three designs on it. Squeezed at the bottom was the image of a green grasshopper. In the centre and taking up most of the space was a yellow tiger and finally with barely any room at the top was a red hawk. Her legs were covered with thin green armour at the front which was segmented not unlike a grasshopper's legs. Connected to the armour were green lines which connected to the grasshopper marking on her chest. Yellow lines extended from the tiger marking, past the rounded shoulders with yellow edges and ended at yellow gauntlets which had sharp blades folded back on the wrists. Finally the hawk symbol left a red line leading up to her face which was now concealed under a helmet that had large green eyes and a face plate which looked like a flying bird.

"Did I just hear singing? Hawk (taka), tiger (tora), grasshopper (batta)? Is that what this is?"

"Worry about that some other time," said Ankh. "This thing is called OOO (pronounced as Ozu). You'll realise its power once you fight with it."

The Bear Yummy roared and lunged at OOO. The armoured Fighter cried out and raised her arms to defend. The Bear Yummy's claws scraped against her yellow gauntlets but otherwise did little damage. She then kicked the Yummy in the midsection, sending it staggering back. Encouraged by how she was actually hurting it, OOO pressed her advantage, going for more attacks. As she charged, the tiger emblem on her chest flashed before the claws on the back of her gauntlets folded out and with a swing she slashed the monster across the chest. She expected to see blood but instead silver coins splashed out of the monster's chest where she struck. The wound was open for only a moment before gray energy sealed it shut again, but it was more than enough to tell her she could win!

Deciding to find out more once the monster was dealt with, OOO attacked with several more slashes. Each strike opened more wounds with more silver coins spilling out and making jingling noises on the ground. As if responding to her growing confidence, the grasshopper emblem on her chest flashed before her green leg armour began to glow while her yellow claws retracted. Leaping to cross the distance between herself and the monster, OOO unleashed bicycle kicks which crashed against the Yummy, making it stumble and forcing more coins out of its remaining wounds before they had a chance to close.

"Guess she's not such a pushover," said Ankh. To be fair, he could've chosen anyone to be OOO but an experienced Fighter seemed like the best choice. Even a weakling could become a powerhouse by using OOO but OOO's true potential could only be brought up by a true warrior.

Growling, the Bear Yummy wasn't going to take the abuse much longer. Looking at OOO, it roared and charged at the armoured girl, unleashing several slashes which sparked across her chest before punching her in the abdomen and sending her sprawling across the ground. Strangely enough, her yellow sections began to spark and lose their colour from the numerous impacts, not that she noticed since her world had been momentarily rocked by the hits.

"Wow, Mom's got nothing on this guy," she grunted, rubbing her chest so to try and massage the pain out. "It's a good thing this armour's so good too. Otherwise my clothes would have been shredded and Mom said she was going to pound me for ruining another outfit."

"Forget about your clothes!" Ankh shouted, flying closer to OOO. Flicking his wrist, he produced a second green coin, this one with a praying mantis etched on the front. "Here. Switch this one with the Tora Medal. You'll need a better weapon than the ones you have with you now."

"Okay!" OOO nodded, grabbing the Medal. Pushing on her buckle, she set it into a horizontal position again before removing the Tora Medal and slipping the Kamakiri Medal into its place. With the Medal secured, the buckle shifted again before OOO took her scanner and swiped it across the front.

"**TAKA!**"

"**KAMAKIRI!**"

"**BATTA!**"

Images of the three Core Medals appeared in front of OOO before merging together and colliding with her chest. In a haze of green, the tiger sections of her armour were replaced with a bright green set with a mantis symbol replacing the tiger one on her chest. Another modification was that her gauntlets were now green with black accents and had long blades extending from them and were able to reach up to her elbows. As she raised her arms, the blades attached to the gauntlets suddenly found themselves in her hands, held in a reverse grip.

"Ankh, hand over those Core Medals!" the Bear Yummy demanded as it charged but OOO would not let it reach its target. Swinging her arms, she slashed at the Yummy with the Kamakiri Swords, causing coins to fly out of it. She then kicked the Yummy hard with both feet, sending it skidding across the ground. Charging forward, she leapt and soared through the air. The mantis emblem on her chest glowed, transferring power into her arms and swords.

"Take this! Kamakiri Zan!" OOO called out as she slashed the Yummy in an X-pattern with her swords, cutting clean through the Yummy and making a green X-shaped cut appear on its body. The Bear Yummy roared before exploding. From the flames, many coins burst out and rained down on OOO, bouncing off her suit and rolling across the ground. "So, that guy was made of coins?" In the midst of her surprise, she then realised something. "Kokin!" She ran towards her cousin, "Kokin, hold on! I'll call for help!"

* * *

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you," Kougami smiled as he put the finishing touches on yet another cake. "Happy Birthday, Dear OOO…"

* * *

As OOO panicked about, trying to spot where a phone was so she could try and get some help for her relative, Ankh began to hover down and examine the boy. Really, the amount of punishment he took from the Yummy was considerable and yet somehow he still survived it all. From where the bird Greeed was standing, the boy should have died when he was smashed into the ground so savagely, but he survived just the same, if only barely. To have survived such a blow meant that the boy's body was exceptionally tough for a human.

"I think you'll do just fine," Ankh spoke to himself.

Hovering down, his 'body' began to glow before phasing over Kokin's right arm. The glow then extended over the Fighter's whole body before Ankh lifted himself and the unconscious human from the ground. The body of Kokin then flashed as if life suddenly poured into him before settling on his feet. However, there was a slight difference to how it was before. Kokin's hair was usually a dark colour usually associated with blue, but now it had turned blonde and styled with sizable spikes at the front, leaving the sides shorter than usual.

"A phone, I need to find a phone!" OOO panicked as she searched for a means of getting help for her cousin. As she panicked, she turned and spotted what appeared to be Kokin standing up with a new hairstyle and a freaky red glove on his arm. "Kokin! You're okay!" she squealed as she charged to glomp what appeared to be her cousin.

The one wearing Kokin's face raised his kaijin arm and held it up, stopping OOO from her affectionate attack, "Okay? Girl, your friend is very much not okay. However, my presence will be able to keep him alive."

"Huh?" OOO blinked.

"Now then, allow me to introduce myself," the possessed young man grinned. With a dramatic bow, he spoke. "My name is Ankh. I am one of the beings known as the Greeed."

"Greeed?" OOO repeated in confusion.

* * *

To Be Continued…

Ten-Faced Paladin A/N: My thanks to Kamen Rider Chrome for editing and offering ideas as this chapter was made. Credit for this idea goes to Tailsmo4ever though since it was his initial suggestion that got the ball rolling for this chapter to take form.

Kamen Rider Chrome: I got the idea and I delivered. This is a collaboration of a commission I got from Tailsmo4ever.


	2. Chapter 2

**OOO Medals of Ikki Tousen**

**Chapter 2: Of Birthdays, High School, and Cool Gear**

**Written By: Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome**

**Edited By: Shadow Element 13**

**Idea Provided By: Tailsmo4ever**

* * *

"Allow me to introduce myself," the possessed Kokin grinned as he bowed. "My name is Ankh. I am one of the beings known as the Greeed."

"Greeed?" OOO repeated in confusion. Deciding to get out of her new suit, she reached to the belt and tugged slightly, causing the belt to release her and retract into the buckle. The colours on her armour suddenly dulled before the entire suit vanished, leaving her as Hakufu Sonsaku once again.

It started out as any other morning for the recently elected leader of Nanyo, except for the damage she witnessed at the museum. It all began when she found a cool red coin lying on the side of the road. Of course this attracted a creepy floating arm named Ankh, who wanted it back. The morning only got stranger when a bear monster, known as a Yummy, came rampaging down the road, also looking for both the coin and the arm that claimed it as his property. Kokin tried to fight it off, fearing that the monster would attempt to harm Hakufu. What that got him was a major ass kicking that knocked him out cold and a new imprint in the concrete shaped like his face. Both horrified and enraged at what the monster did to her cousin, Hakufu engaged the beast herself, only to find that even she couldn't stop it either. Fortunately, the floating arm gave her a new kind of power, armour that allowed her to channel the power of three different animals, which allowed her to defeat the Bear Yummy. But then the weirdness only increased when the arm possessed Kokin and took her cousin's body as his own. This led to current events.

"Yes, Greeed," Ankh nodded, "As the name suggests, I am a creature that feeds on human desire."

"You mean like a vampire?" Hakufu blinked.

"No," Ankh frowned. "I am nothing like those stain-glassed idiots. I'm more than that."

"Oh, sorry about that," Hakufu muttered as she scratched the back of her head, "But just what are doing with my cousin?"

"Like I said, it's because of me that he is still alive," Ankh grunted as he walked past her, his attention trained more on the silver coins which were littering the ground instead of his audience. Hakufu watched him with wary eyes. Normally, she was too trusting of people, but this… thing was inside Kokin. She wouldn't forgive herself if anything happened to him because of that. "I have to admit, his body is tougher than I thought. Ordinary humans would have died instantly from encountering a Yummy in the way he did. However, that blow did a number on him, and he wouldn't have lasted ten minutes without quick medical care. Besides, I haven't fully revived, and I needed a body to move around unnoticed."

"So you possessed him to keep him alive?"

"That's exactly-" Ankh replied, but was suddenly interrupted.

*TWEEE!*

Swooping in from above, dozens of red and silver robotic birds dove down on the immediate area. Rather than attacking Hakufu and Ankh, the birds instead targeted the numerous silver coins which were lying on the ground. The birds landed lightly on the ground before plucking the coins into their beaks, some managing to hold two or three. Once they were filled up on the coins they could hold, the birds began to fly away with the coins, much to Ankh's displeasure.

"What the hell? Those are mine!" Ankh roared as he tried, unsuccessfully, to shoo the birds away.

"Wow! Robotic birds!" Hakufu gasped looked at all of them flying about.

Ankh dove at the birds, trying to scare them off and save the Medals, but the miniature flying machines weren't budging until they got as many of the coins they could carry. As the last of them began to fly away, Ankh managed to grab the coins inside of one bird's beak in an attempt to steal the coins back. The tiny robot certainly fought back hard, clamping down on the Medals with all its might. Ankh's reasonably larger status eventually won out and be pulled out the three silver coins it had, leaving the machine to fly away with another twee. The red-armed and possessed human just glared at the machines before looking at the three coins in his monstrous hand."Well, it's a start," he grumbled to himself.

Blinking at the sheer randomness at what had just occurred**;** Hakufu was snapped out of her shock when she spied a clock hanging from a nearby shop which thankfully hadn't been broken in the chaos with the Yummy. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the hands getting dangerously closer to the 8:00 hour for when Nanyo would begin its day."Oh no! I forgot! We gotta get to school!"

"Eh?" Ankh grunted as he looked at her. "What's school?"

"Come on! We gotta hurry!" the Little Conqueror continued as she grabbed her possessed guardian and made a mad dash for Nanyo Academy.

"Hey! HEY! SLOW DOWN!"

Just as the two teenagers left the abandoned area, someone in a motorcycle site stepped out from behind the tree. Removing his helmet, Shintaro Goto made a slight huff.

"That's… OOO?" he muttered with a small frown, "…She's just a kid…"

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

Lounging around a small lake in the middle of an isolated forest were Mezul, Cazali, and Uva. Their coloured banners fluttered in the breeze from trees circling the small lake as they merely tried to amuse themselves with various things. Uva was lying on his side, plucking the grass, yanking out small flowers here and there just so he could shred them. Cazali was lying on his back, staring at the clouds which drifted across the sky. It was hard to tell if he was sleeping or just lazing about, but neither of the other two Greeed really cared to find out. Lastly, Mezul was lying across a small dock which someone had erected long ago and dragged her fingers across the water. None of the Greeed seemed to be in any kind of hurry to do anything. They knew they had all the time in the world for their plans.

"MEZUL!"

The peace and tranquility that the three Greeed were enjoying was suddenly shattered when Gameru came crashing into the clearing with a gray banner unfurling on the scene to join the others. The heavy animal Greed smashed through several trees as he ran towards his comrades. He was wiping his eyes and looked quite distressed about something. His path of destruction certainly caught the attention of the remaining three Greeed as they turned to see what was going on.

"What is it Gameru-chan?" asked Mezul, standing up to face the obviously distraught Greeed.

"My Yummy!" Gameru cried as he ran up to the fish Greeed, rubbing his eyes as if he were crying. "My Yummy!"

"What about your Yummy Gameru-chan?" asked Mezul, calmly rubbing the distraught Greed's head in an effort to calm him down. Being the strongest of them all physically, Gameru on an emotionally distraught rampage wouldn't be good for anyone.

"Someone…blew up my Yummy!" Gameru cried. "It's gone!"

"What?" Uva blinked, suddenly growing interested. "Someone defeated your Yummy? Don't tell me a human did it!"

"Impossible," Cazali sighed. "Humans haven't really changed a bit since eight centuries ago. They may have new tricks, but nothing they have can beat a Yummy."

"But a human…did do it!" Gameru insisted. "I saw it…through my Yummy! It was…OOO!"

"What?" the three Greeed cried, instantly snapping alert. None of them had forgotten the multi-coloured fighter who usurped the power of their Core Medals and eventually became the one responsible for sealing them away in the first place. Although it was still eight centuries ago, the sting from that particular defeat was still very strong in the hearts of the Greeed.

"So, OOO is back too eh?" Cazali pondered, stroking his chin as he sat up. "Ankh must have had something to do with that. OOO wouldn't have popped up so suddenly without the help of someone who knew about us Greeed and the only one who does is Ankh."

"Rrrrrrr, that traitor!" Uva snapped, stomping to his feet. "First he steals our Core Medals and now he gives them to OOO? I'll kill him!"

"I think it's a smart plan," Mezul answered as she continued to stroke the distraught Gameru's head. "Why fight us and our Yummies himself when he can get OOO to do it for him. After all, I doubt this OOO knows about our history and our plans for the world."

"He will if Ankh tells him!" Uva shot back. "Damn that bird!"

"Mezul…" Gameru begged breaking's Uva's growing rant, "I'm running out of…Cell Medals."

"You poor dear," Mezul cooed motherly. "Here, you may have some of mine." She held a hand over Gameru and Cell Medals popped out the limb, vanishing as they phased through his skin. "Better?" She rubbed Gameru's head affectionately.

"Hey, should you really be doing that?" Cazali asked, "Giving your Cell Medals away like that?"

"Not to worry. Our Yummies will be gathering more than enough for all of us," said Mezul. Each of the Greeed had created Yummies that were currently feeding on the desires of the humans they had chosen. Soon enough, they would have plenty of Cell Medals to sustain themselves while at the same time they would have eyes out looking for Ankh and OOO."Just be patient."

Uva grunted, "We should hunt Ankh down now and rip him apart for our Core and Cell Medals!" He kicked a nearby rock into the lake and it splashed into the surface. "And kill OOO!"

* * *

**Nanyo Academy**

Ankh had been forced to cling onto his life as Hakufu dashed towards school, his human vessel dangling helplessly from her grasp as he was dragged along. Because he was bonded to the human, he was feeling nauseous and would likely throw up due to motion sickness.

"Would you slow down already?" Ankh shouted, trying to keep himself from getting sick from the fast movement Hakufu was going through.

"Can't! We're going to be late!" the strawberry blonde replied. "I don't want to be late! Mom said she'd spank me again if I was!"

"What are you, a five-year old?" the possessed young man grimaced as Hakufu turned a particularly sharp corner. He barely missed colliding with a parked car, much to his displeasure. "Oi! Watch it! I may be tough but I'm still flesh and blood like your cousin!"

"Sorry!"

The rather fast-paced ride then abruptly ended as Hakufu skidded to a halt outside a gate with Ankh, crashing to a heap, his human wrist still trapped in Hakufu's hand. Grumbling about immature and excitable humans, the possessed human stood up, wiping his face free from dirt and whatever he had picked up from the impact. He was a Greeed dammit! He shouldn't be treated like some kind of rag doll to be carried around at a naïve girl's pleasure!

"We made it!" Hakufu cheered. Turning to Ankh, she continued. "Now we'd better get going before…hey, what happened to your freaky arm?"

True to Hakufu's realization, Ankh's right arm didn't look like a monster's anymore. Instead, it looked like Kokin's regular arm save for the fact that several red leather straps were wrapped around it almost like a mummy's or some kind of weird fashion statement.

"I knew after flying around most of this city that I stand out like a sore thumb," Ankh grumbled, dusting himself off. "I am capable of changing my appearance so I merely made myself look like a regular arm that belonged to this human instead of my natural form. Less people will notice that way."

"Oh, how smart!" Hakufu complimented. "That's a really neat trick." Resting a finger on her chin, Hakufu's eyes trailed up from Ankh's disguised arm and rested on his blonde hair. It really was a sharp contrast from Kokin's and anyone, even people who were as stupid as her, might ask questions.

"What?" Ankh cocked an eyebrow.

"Can you change Kokin's hair back to normal? I think a lot of people will ask about why he changed his hair."

Ankh scoffed. She was more concerned about his host's hair than his health. He really did choose an idiot. The only real bright side to the situation was that idiots were generally easy to control and she was a strong idiot. At the very least she'd be able to tackle the Yummies and get more Cell Medals for him.

"So, what is this 'school' you are fussing about?" Ankh asked. "It must be important considering the big deal you made in trying to get here."

"Oh, it's where I hang out with friends and learn stuff!" Hakufu explained with a grin. Ankh snorted at the explanation, making her blink in confusion. "What?"

"It's a waste of time. We should try and investigate where those birds took those Cell Medals," Ankh remarked.

"Cell…Medal?" Hakufu asked, question marks popping about her head.

"This," said Ankh as he fished out one of the silver coins he managed to salvage from the Yummy's destruction from earlier. Hakufu blinked and examined the silver coin. It was different from the Medals she had gotten from Ankh. It had no colour whatsoever and had an X on one side with the image of a gorilla on the other. "A Cell Medal."

"But, what about these?" Hakufu asked, taking out from her pocket the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals which she had received from Ankh to transform into OOO. "How come they're so different from the silver coins you want?"

"Those, on the other hand, are Core Medals. The belt is powered by Core Medals like those," Ankh answered. It was a pain to explain things but for OOO to be effective, she had to be informed. Looking to the three Core Medals in the blonde's hand, he continued. "Speaking of which," he lashed out with his hand and scooped up the three Medals in one swipe, making them vanish into his disguised arm once again.

"Hey! Why'd you do that?" Hakufu cried indignantly.

"Because I don't trust a little girl like you with them, that's why," Ankh answered, completely unrepentant as to what he did. "Medals are life blood to me. Do you honestly think that I'm going to let anyone but myself carry them?"

"Hmph!" Hakufu pouted with puffed cheeks. She was about to let the Greeed have a piece of her mind when…

*B-RIIIING!*

The bell rang.

"Oh no!" Hakufu gasped and she grabbed Ankh's wrist. The Greeed was helplessly yanked along as Hakufu charged for the school; trying to avoid a spanking from her mother should she be late.

* * *

The territory around Nanyo was generally like any kind of city school with a wide property and plenty of space for the students to hang out when class wasn't in session. At the same time, it held some nice bunches of trees and bushes which not only gave a nice bit of greenery to give the school a more homely and suburban atmosphere. Of course, it also allowed several of the students to hide some contraband, hold romantic liaisons with each other, or simply beat the crap out of each other as the regime of the now deceased Enjutsu. Nowadays they were used to hide contraband or as hot make-out spots.

One Nanyo student, a short-haired brunette was running to the school with her gym bag slung over her shoulder. She was cursing herself for ignoring her alarm and now she was risking being late. Maybe if she really ran she would be able to avoid standing out in the halls. In normal schools it might not be such a bad thing beyond some embarrassment, but at Nanyo it might turn out worse if some of the more thuggish fighters were out there with you and decided to start something for fun. Enjutsu allowed that sort of thing before he went missing, stating it helped toughen up the Fighters, but under Hakufu Sonsaku people weren't so quick to do that since they weren't sure how'd she react yet. Of course, there was always that one thug who thought he was tough enough to try and keep the tradition going…

"Hopefully I can get in before the teacher does roll call." The girl muttered to herself. As she ran past several bushes, a white figure suddenly leapt out and grabbed her. She screamed as she felt a pair of hands on her breasts and started to struggle. The figure covered her mouth with a hand as it dragged her into the bushes to do who knows what. There was the sound of cloth tearing and muffled screams, but no one was nearby to hear it.

* * *

Ankh was bored out of his mind. He had no interest in sitting in school. He had no desire to sit and listen to humans lecture and teach him such insignificant things. There were Cell Medals out there for the taking. He now regretted possessing a human child when he had to sit through this torture. He could have just left, but the blonde twit of a cousin of his host was in the same class and keeping a strict eye on him and would no doubt drag him back into it.

Strangely enough, no one seemed to care about the shredded shirt he was wearing from his host's fight with the Bear Yummy. Instead, they seemed more concerned about the sudden hair colour change Ankh's host was sporting. It really made the Greeed wonder what kind of life his host was living if the people around him noticed the colour of his hair more than they did the shredded clothes that looked like a wild animal had tried to eat the person wearing them. Then again, it would make moving about easier if no one cared about his host fighting people.

Ankh felt his patience dwindle with each ringing of that infernal bell. It was so annoying! He was half tempted to reveal his true form just so he could blow up every bell he could find to end the stupidity. He had to constantly remind himself that he wasn't trying to stand out so he could keep calm and prevent himself from doing something stupid. Being stupid was apparently Hakufu's job anyway. As the bell rung yet again, Ankh watched the teacher leave and the students began to mill about. They hadn't done it before when the teachers left previously so something different had to be happening.

"Ankh-chan!" Hakufu's cheery voice called, announcing the strawberry blonde moments before she grabbed his arm and began tugging on him. "Come one! We've got to get to the cafeteria! It's time for lunch and I don't want to miss out on the legendary lunch! Now come on!"

"Huh? What?" Ankh blinked, but Hakufu was already pulling him out of his seat and yanking him towards the door. "Dammit, not again!"

* * *

Trolling around outside Nanyo was another one of the students who served the school as one of the Fighters. He was incredibly tall and held a lot of muscles, making his uniform somewhat tight despite it being the largest the school could offer. His skin tone and facial features hinted at Hispanic heritage and he had black hair which was held with a headband which allowed it to spike at the back. On his ear dangled a silver magatama which not only revealed him as a Fighter, but a high-ranked one as well. His name was Gakushu and he was one of the Big Four of Nanyo Academy, their top Fighters.

Despite his size and power, Gakushu was a pretty nice guy. He had a sweet tooth as strong as his muscles and wasn't afraid to indulge it. Of course, as a Fighter, he wasn't as strong as the rest of the Big Four in terms of skill. He was much slower than most Fighters at his level and it was a glaring flaw that his enemies would take advantage of numerous times over. However, it did give him a very high endurance level and a crazy recovery speed, needing only to take a day or two to recover from most beatings. A fun fact about him was that he would often try to get part-time jobs but would get fired sooner or later after he would beat up a customer who was harassing someone, usually a cocky guy trying to put the moves on a girl. He'd get fired soon after, but it did earn him his share of fans in the female population who weren't Fighters.

Gakushu was running a patrol around Nanyo just to make sure that everything was okay. Since Hakufu was made leader of Nanyo, he wanted to make sure she didn't get attacked like Enjutsu was and took a greater roll in his duties to Nanyo by ensuring no one of ill intent managed to sneak into the school. Simply because class started didn't mean that the war was put on hold. Since the power shift to Kyosho, Gakushu was on high alert since anything could happen as the balance of power settled down and things would start up again. He didn't want someone nice like Hakufu being dealt the same fate as Enjutsu.

"Better wrap this up," he muttered to himself. Although he was one of the Big Four, even he was subject to the teachers and detentions they served should there be a good reason. While the teachers for the most part knew about the war, they still had to do their jobs. As such, Gakushu had something akin to hall monitor duty to explain why he was late. It was a duty each of the Big Four was given so to give them some leeway with class schedules.

Walking past some of the groves of trees, Gakushu heard it. It was soft, but for a Fighter who was trained to notice threats, it was loud enough. It was sobbing, from a woman if he heard right. Concerned, but cautious, he walked towards the source. Pushing aside the bushes, he peered into the clearing to see what was going on.

"Ah!"

Huddled in the middle of the grove was a Nanyo student, but it was a little hard to tell because her uniform was shredded and she was desperately clutching the rags which used to be her blouse shut while pinning her raggedy skirt down. She had a gym bag with her that was torn open and her gym outfit was scattered across the clearing. Normally it would have been a sight any man would have been thankful for, but only the worst kinds of people would have gotten off at seeing the red face of the girl and the tears running down her face. The girl was obviously frightened and very much traumatised by something.

"Are you all right?" Gakushu asked, kneeling in the clearing, trying not to frighten the girl. "Who did this to you?"

"*sniff* you won't believe me," the girl mumbled.

"Try me. I'm a Fighter, remember? I've seen weird things before," Gakushu answered, wanting to get an answer. If this was a rape then whoever did it was going to get a most unholy beatdown by his fists.

"Some…some guy…dressed like a mummy," the girl sniffled. "He just…grabbed me and dragged me here before…before…he tore at my clothes. I thought…I thought he was going to rape me…he was so strong…but he stole my underwear…and by sports bra…and…and…ate them!"

"Ate them?" Gakushu blinked. What kind of sick weirdo was he dealing with?

"Then he just left," the girl continued. "I don't want to go into the school…but I don't want to stay here…what if he comes back?" She was beginning to dissolve into tears again and Gakushu quickly held her shoulders, trying to calm her down with soothing words.

"It's alright. We'll get this guy," reaching for his sweater vest, he tugged it off before handing it to the girl. "Here. Use this to cover up. I'll take you to the infirmary and then I'll let Hakufu and the others of the Big Four know what's going on. I'll even have some Fighters watch the infirmary to make sure nothing happens, ok?"

"*sniff* thanks," the girl nodded, taking the sweater. Since she was so petite compared to Gakushu, she was easily covered by the sweater all the way down to her thighs, covering up anything she didn't want to show. Managing to get to her feet, she gripped Gakushu's arm and began to let him guide her towards the school.

* * *

Meanwhile, a group of girls who'd just finished their gym period were changing out of their gym so they could go to lunch. Some were only in their underwear while a few were half-dressed in either their gym uniform or school uniforms. All of a sudden, the door was knocked off its hinges and the girl's screamed as a white humanoid figure stumbled in with malicious intent.

* * *

Ankh was forced to stand in line with Hakufu so they could have lunch. He did feel hungry but standing in line grated on his nerves. Whenever he was hungry in the past he just ignored whatever rules hindered him and just went for it. He would've forced himself to the front of the line but Hakufu was keeping a firm grasp on his wrist. It wasn't that he was afraid of the twit or anything, but she was certainly stronger than the average human and in his weakened state, she could certainly let him have it if he got her mad. If she were an ordinary human then he wouldn't have cared less and would have just done what he wanted, but unfortunately this was not the case.

"Why must we wait here like this?" Ankh asked impatiently.

"Because we need to wait for our turn Ankh-chan," Hakufu explained, leaning on the tips of her toes so to try and see if the line was moving and she would be receiving her turn soon. "Other people want to eat too."

"But we're hungry now! Why can't we just take it? The strong always hold that privilege!" Ankh argued.

"Because it's not nice!" Hakufu snapped back.

"Who cares about nice?"

"Two please?" Hakufu spoke to the lunch lady.

"Huh?" Ankh blinked, looking about to find that the line had moved during their argument and that it was now their turn to get some lunch. The lunch lady happily obliged and handed over two steaming bowls of yakisoba noodles with chicken. Hakufu happily took both and headed for the cash register where a cashier already tallied the cost of both bowls. Hakufu settled down the bowls and began riffling through Ankh's pockets. "HEY!"

"I need to pay for these and Kokin always keeps the money for the both of us," Hakufu spoke, pulling out Kokin's wallet.

"You really have no shame, do you?" Ankh grumbled. Still the food did smell good so he could probably push aside this newest insult to his pride for now. After paying, Hakufu picked up the bowls and she led Ankh to a table so they could eat. Now was a good time for Hakufu to get answers.

"OK, can you please tell me what's going on?" Hakufu asked.

"About what?" asked Ankh, feigning ignorance. He didn't have to, but seeing Hakufu get mad with puffed out cheeks was a small reward for all of the annoyances she had been dealing him throughout the day so far.

"The big deal about these Greeed and Yummies and stuff!" Hakufu snapped. "What's the big deal about these Cell Medals and Core Medals that you seem to want so badly? What do the Greeed want and where do the Yummies come from? I know you know!"

"Of course I know," Ankh nodded, slurping up some of the noodles, using his bare hands. It made Hakufu grimace, but she didn't say anything. "I'm a Greeed too if you haven't forgotten. If anyone knows anything about what's going on it would be me."

"Then tell me!" Hakufu cried out.

"I suppose I sho**-"**

*_Jingle! Jingle! Jingle_*

"A Yummy!" Ankh gasped, standing up. He could hear the sounds of Cell Medals being formed and collecting together as a Yummy would normally do as it collected more and more desire to fuel its power. The sound was unmistakable, like coins falling on top of each other in a pile.

"What?" Hakufu blinked looking around. "A Yummy? What do you mean? I don't see one!"

"No you stupid girl! I can hear one maturing! It's in the school too!" Ankh snapped with a growl. He stared down at his disguised arm in frustration. "I must be even weaker than I thought if I couldn't even sense it so close before now!"

"Hey, you called me stupid!" Hakufu huffed.

"You are stupid, girl! Now come on!" Ankh snapped, grabbing Hakufu and beginning to drag her from the cafeteria. They had a Yummy to hunt down and Cell Medals to collect.

"But I haven't finished lunch yet! Ankh-chan!"

* * *

Trolling down the hallways of Nanyo was yet another member of the Big Four. This one happened to be a female student with short blue hair and had a beauty mark near her mouth on the left side of her face. She wore blue gloves and blue socks with boots that were not part of the regular uniform. Her figure was slim and trim with an average set of measurements for any girl, but the most noticeable feature was the eye patch which she wore over her left eye. She was one of the most powerful Fighters in the school, male or female, Ryomou Shinmei.

Ryomou was something of a hard girl, never letting anyone see her softer side save for Saji Genpou and the blind and crippled Teifu Tokubou. She was cold to just about everyone else and even cruel in battle when the mood suited her. She was something of an adrenaline junkie when it came to her fights so she was always ready to jump into a fight, be it hers or not. She began to change when Hakufu Sonsaku came to Nanyo. Usurping the assassination attempt, Ryomou found herself beaten black, blue, and bloody when Hakufu's Haouryuu manifested for the first time. Doubting her skills, she vanished from Nanyo for a time to hone her skills and receive encouragement from Teifu before returning for the Big Fighter's Tournament. Somehow, someway, Ryomou found herself opening up to Hakufu and finding her loyalty solidifying for the strawberry blonde. Ryomou wasn't sure if it was because of the bond that the first Hakufu Sonsaku and Ryomou Shinmei shared or something about the present Hakufu, but the bluenette really didn't care to bother. All she knew was what she felt now was trust and loyalty for the sometimes stupid Fighter.

At the moment, Ryomou was doing a round of patrol before heading to the cafeteria for guard detail on Hakufu. Since she was the new leader of Nanyo, she was a prime target of assassination. If anything else, Saji's coup to avoid his fate showed just how lax they were in security around their leader. It was supposed to be Saji and Gakushu's turn for patrols while Kokin and herself were on guard duty, but Gakushu was late and Saji was nowhere to be found. Ryomou silently pledged to ream the pair out if they didn't have a good reason for shirking their duties. She expected such from Saji half the time, but Gakushu was usually pretty punctual, which made Ryomou wonder what the giant had gotten himself into. The last time he went missing he ended up becoming a hostage so Ryomou was a little tense to say the least.

Turning a corner so she could finish her patrol, Ryomou was expecting another hall with students milling around doing whatever they did to pass the time. At first that was what it seemed like, but in a split second, that changed.

"AHHHHH!"

"RUN!"

"SOMEONE HELP!"

"KYAAAAHHHHHH!"

"IT'S A PERVERTED MUMMY!"

Ryomou was met with the sights and sounds of at least a dozen or so fellow students barrelling in fear down the hall. All of them seemed to be half dressed in either their uniforms or their gym clothes and scared witless about something. It didn't escape Ryomou's notice that they were missing bras, those that didn't have tops or left them undone as they tried to escape from whatever had set them off. What seemed even odder was that most, if not all of the girls, like the rest of the school, were Fighters. That fact made Ryomou raise an eyebrow. Just what had managed to send them all running off like a bunch of normal schoolgirls, even forgoing their complete outfits to escape it?

"Saji's going to kick himself for missing that," she muttered, still trying to make sense out of what she saw.

"Ryomou!"

The bluenette turned to the source of the voice calling her name and saw Gakushu running towards her with a grim look on his face. Ryomou knew that he meant business and that something was happening that she didn't know about.

"Gakushu, where were you?" she asked with a frown.

"Escorting a very frightened female student to the infirmary," the boy of Hispanic descent answered. "She said something about a guy dressed like a mummy shredding her clothes and eating her underwear. Now, did I just see what I thought I saw?"

"You mean a bunch of half-naked girls screaming their heads off about a perverted mummy? Yes," the eye patch girl nodded. "You think it's the same guy?"

"Must be," Gakushu growled, clenching his fists. "I didn't think he'd be so bold as to come inside the school. How'd he get in without anyone noticing?"

"Don't know, don't care," Ryomou frowned, tightening her gloves as she looked down the hall to where the stampeding girls had come from. "Let's just kick this guy's ass and get it over with. Hakufu only has Kokin on her and I don't want to miss lunch completely."

"Right," Gakushu nodded, beginning to walk down the hallway.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ankh was dragging a hapless Hakufu along with him in order to track down the Yummy he'd just sensed. She was forced to come along, knowing full well she had the power to actually do any harm to a Yummy. She knew why he was so gung-ho about this. Yummy were filled with Cell Medals, the silver coins Ankh was looking for. Why he wanted them so badly though was something he hadn't told her just yet, but she was going to find out soon! Even if she had to knock him around a little!

"So, you can sense Yummies?" asked Hakufu, keeping up with her possessed cousin.

"Not the Yummies, actually, but the Cell Medals they're making," Ankh told her.

"Making Cell Medals?" Hakufu blinked.

"That's right, and I can sense this Yummy is close to maturing already judging by the amount I can sense. If we can get to it in time, then they'll be a lot of them once you're through with it, girl!"

Hakufu huffed at the rude reference towards her. She really didn't like Ankh's behaviour and so decided to at least set the record straight with the Greeed. Huffing, she told him outright, "My name is not 'girl'! It's Hakufu Sonsaku!"

"OK, fine, Hakufu!" Ankh huffed. Really, he never really asked for her name but knew it all the same because of his host. Both teens (technically two teens and a Greeed) dashed up the stairs to the third floor. Hakufu had memories of her first serious fight at Nanyo and when she met her friend Mou-chan. It wasn't the best of meetings but it was when they first met. Bursting through the now deserted hallways, both Hakufu and Ankh came to the girls' locker room which had the door torn off of its hinges. Sounds of fighting were still going on inside, causing Hakufu and Ankh to step closer.

Inside the room was utter devastation. The lockers were broken and bent while discarded clothes and shower supplies littered the floor. At the far end of the room though was the Yummy, appearing to look like a mummy like Hakufu had seen in a museum once. It was hunched over slightly and gripped in its hands were several sets of bras and a few pairs of panties, all of different types, colours, and designs. It was scooping them up from the ground and tearing open lockers to find them. Hakufu could only blink in surprise at the sight of a monster apparently going on a panty raid.

"Are all Yummies this…perverted?" she cringed.

"No. Perverted Yummies only come from perverted people," Ankh sighed, crossing his arms and leaning on the battered doorframe. "It seems some things about humans never change."

Completely ignoring the two witnesses at the door, the White Yummy seemed to have collected every scrap of negligee it could. Satisfied that there were no more to be had, it turned its attention to the collection and raised them up into the air. To Hakufu's surprise, the Yummy's mouth opened, revealing a purple and black void of some kind. The Yummy then began stuffing the underwear into its mouth, making a chewing noise for every inch it managed to cram inside. Inch by inch, the panties and bras vanished into the monster's maw.

"Ew, hasn't it heard of edible underwear?"

Ankh stared, sweatdropping, "Edible…underwear?"

"Some of the girls talk about this place that sells them. Anyway, Ankh-chan, we have to stop this thing!" Hakufu announced, taking a ready stance to charge the Yummy and stop its perverted rampage. She would have charged, being in the armour of OOO or not before Ankh raised his arm and barred her way, his arm being in its true form to additionally prove how serious he was.

"Wait, it hasn't matured," he told Hakufu. "We have to wait until it matures or else we'll only get a small amount of Cell Medals."

"I don't care about that!" Hakufu heard a shout. It was then that she noticed that the chewing sound had stopped. Looking back to the Yummy, she saw it wipe the spot where its mouth had been before its gaze locked firmly on her. Well, on her chest to be more exact. After seeing what it had been doing beforehand, Hakufu knew it was more interested in what she was wearing rather than what she was sporting underneath her outfit. "Oh now way! Don't you even think about it!"

"Nnnn," the Yummy grunted in reply before it began to stumble towards her and Ankh.

"Oh now you're really going to get it!" Hakufu frowned, her feminine pride and Fighter's instinct rising in the face of the perverted challenger. She was ready to take on the Yummy, with or without Ankh's help when…

*WHAM!*

An arm with a dark complexion hurtled past her and collided with the Yummy's face. The monster, being hit with enough force to shatter walls, was sent hurtling backwards and crashed into the already busted lockers, smashing them further apart. Ankh swiftly hid his kaijin arm by changing it back to a human one, but Hakufu blinked at the sight before she recognized the attacking arm and turned to see who had done it, "Gaku-chan!" her eyes were already sparkling at seeing a friend coming to help, but became a fireworks show as she saw yet another friend. "Mou-chan! You came too!"

"Are you alright Hakufu?" the muscled teenager asked, his eyes never leaving the Yummy.

"I was just about to kick its pervy butt!" Hakufu grinned.

"Then let us handle it," Ryomou muttered, tightening her gloves. "The leader of Nanyo shouldn't be getting involved in stuff like this. That's our job. Come on Gakushu, let's break this clown."

"Right," the Hispanic boy nodded before the two members of the Big Four began to advance on the Yummy.

"But-!" Hakufu gasped only to get grabbed on the shoulder by Ankh.

"Let them try," he sighed. "In this state they'll definitely survive, if not drive the Yummy away. If it matures though then I wouldn't hold my breath for a victory. The muscled one might be able to get away, but the girl seems like a slip of a thing."

"Ha! You don't know my friends very well then!" Hakufu grinned. "Gaku-chan's pretty darn strong, but Mou-chan is way stronger than him! That Yummy won't know what hit it and won't ever be able to grow all the way! You'll just have to settle for having a few Cell Medals!" Hakufu may have sounded like a bragging kid, but she was confident in her two friend's fighting skills. After all, both of them had managed to beat her in a fight!

"Tsk! They're heading for their dooms, but if it gets away to mature later all the better for me," Ankh snorted.

The Yummy managed to recover, even if its balance didn't seem too good after the blow. Gakushu attacked first, using his mammoth fist to attempt to feed the Yummy its own face. The creature seemed to have learned from the attack though and slipped to the side to avoid it, leaving Gakushu to crush more lockers with his attack. He wasn't too upset about his attack being avoided though. Instead, he allowed a small smirk to form on his face as the Yummy stumbled into the path of his partner.

Ryomou was a blur of action as she twisted around the Yummy and used her legs to grasp its neck while using her arms to pin the Yummy's own arm to position its and her own bodies to make it that the monster wouldn't be able to breathe were it a normal person. Using what muscles she had trained over the years and her own chi in attempts to pin the monster's own muscles, she tightened her grip and let gravity do the rest as she had with numerous other opponents. Now it was only a waiting game in her mind.

"All right Mou-chan! You got it!" Hakufu cheered from her position.

"Idiot!" Ankh snorted. "Yummy don't have to sleep or even breathe and they're incredibly flexible at that stage. All she's done is make herself a target!"

"Huh?" Hakufu gaped.

True to Ankh's word, the Yummy didn't seem at all bothered by its positioning and definitely didn't seem to be having any problems breathing. Instead, it seemed more interested in how close Ryomou was to it rather than how she was attacking him. Using its free arm as if it weren't paralyzed by strangulation, it managed to reach behind its back and grab the front of Ryomou's blouse. Realizing that her attack wasn't as effective as she had been hoping, Ryomou let her muscles relax so she could get the hell away from the monster before it could hurt her. However…

*RIIIIIIIIIP*

"Dammit!" Ryomou cursed as she rolled away from the Yummy. Her uniform sweater and blouse had been torn wide open and the shreds captured in the Yummy's fingers. Even worse, her bra had gone along with those shreds, leaving her front bare. She didn't let it bother her though, but it was going to make her day a bit more difficult after the mummy freak had been dealt with. Hakufu gasped in fright while Ankh snorted, proven right once again while Gakushu remained the gentleman and kept his eyes on his opponent rather than Ryomou's tits.

The Yummy, having captured the bits of fabric, tossed away the pieces of Ryomou's uniform before guzzling down her broken bra much like it did all the others, causing the bluenette and the Hispanic boy to blink in surprise at the actual consummation of the undergarments.

Ankh merely frowned, hearing more Cell Medals pile up, an unusual amount for merely one bra to be eaten…"It's time."

The Yummy groaned after it consumed the negligee before its skin cracked and a blast of green and black fire came out. All of the Fighters grew tense as the event happened, which was shortly followed by more cracks belching out more black and green flames. Finally, the Yummy's body was engulfed in the strange flames which overtook its body and sent its skin crumbling to the floor like dirt and ashes. Underneath though was not a shrivelled humanoid though like normal mummies would have.

The Yummy was humanoid like the last one but also had aspects of an insect to its appearance. Yellow skin covered most of its body but its forearms and shins had black stripes. The tips of its fingers looked like they had needles and a bee's abdomen jutted out from the small of its back. It also had wings. The face was human looking except for the eyes which looked like slits and on its head it wore something akin to a helmet with bee-like features. It wore a steel belt, and bands around its ankles and wrists.

"Oh no," Hakufu whispered in fear. She didn't want this to turn out like when Kokin tried to fight a Yummy.

"What the hell?" Ryomou gaped openly.

"What-?" Gakushu gasped.

"Hnnn!" the Bee Yummy grunted, cracking its neck. "So you humans want to fight? So be it!"

"Alright, Ankh-chan!" Hakufu held her hand out to Ankh, asking for the Core Medals he had. He kept his arms crossed. "Ankh-chan?"

"We should just let it have its fun," Ankh said uncaringly. "Even if it's already mature, it can still gather more and more Cell Medals."

Hakufu clenched her fists. Ankh didn't care about humans. Really, he was just so selfish! All he cared about were Cell Medals and he didn't care one bit if people got hurt because of the Yummy. Well that was just fine! If he wanted to keep those stupid Core Medals then he could do just that! She was a Fighter before he came along and she was still a Fighter now. Steeling her resolve, the strawberry blonde charged at the Yummy which was fighting her two friends.

"Oi, girl!" shouted Ankh.

"My name…IS HAKUFU SONSAKU!" She punctuated with a fist driven straight into the Yummy's face, sending it flying straight into the wall with great force. She was going to fight the Yummy, armour or no armour.

Ankh scowled. Hadn't this girl learnt anything? No matter how strong she was, for a human, she was still human and lacked the necessary power to destroy a Yummy. Sure, she could cause it plenty of pain but not enough to destroy it and her blows did not injure it enough to cause Cell Medals to spill out. She could also be killed, not that he really cared, but it would be a pain to find someone else to be OOO.

Naturally the Yummy did not enjoy being smashed into the wall with enough force to injure normal humans. Shaking its head to get the fuzziness out of its eyes, it glared at Hakufu with a menacing growl. Its wings opened in the flash before it flew at Hakufu with considerable force. Its speed caught Hakufu off guard and allowed it to grab her by the shoulders before both went hurtling out the door, barely grazing Ankh as they went by and further down the hall.

"Hakufu!" both Gakushu and Ryomou cried in shock.

"Stupid girl!" Ankh hissed, dashing after the pair.

Hakufu beat against the Yummy's arms as it continued to push her in its flight, but it was like punching solid boulders made out of the really hard kind of rock she couldn't break. Still, she had to at least try so she could give this jerk of a Yummy a piece of her mind! Nanyo was her school and no one perved out on the girls there, much less beat up her friends. Oooh, this Yummy was so going to get what was coming to him when she got loose!

*BOOM!*

"AUGH!" Hakufu screamed in pain as she and the Yummy both crashed through a solid wall and into what appeared to be a classroom. Students were gaping at what just occurred and she noticed several of them were struggling to get out of the way. As she was looking though, she noticed something that proved the human ability to randomly think about just about anything no matter what kind of situation the person was in, '_Hey, I have that kind of cell phone too…_'

*CRASH!*

The flying pair then hit a window, shattering the glass and sending both hurtling through the air. Hakufu could feel the fabric of her uniform get torn by the shards hitting her back and she secretly hoped she didn't get cut up at the same time. Grimacing, she tried to put the pain from the two impacts behind her and instead focused on the Yummy. It didn't seem that the monster was going to stop at any given time so Hakufu knew she was going to have to force it to stop. Glancing, she eyed the bee-like wings that the monster sported and suddenly got an idea. Using her flexibility afforded to her by her gender and martial arts training, she kicked up, her foot reaching the same level as her face before she slammed her foot into the Yummy's back, incidentally pinning its wing.

"What? Are you insane**?**!" The Yummy cried, realizing that its means of flight had been stalled and fighting a failing battle to stay aloft with only one wing.

"Some people say so!" Hakufu grinned as the pair began to fall into a park complete with a fountain that was near Nanyo Academy. "Oh, boy, here we go!"

A red monstrous arm came soaring through the air and grabbed hold of Hakufu. "Brace yourself," said the arm, who was Ankh, as he tore her away from the Bee Yummy's grasp. The Yummy cried out as it crashed hard into the ground while Hakufu landed softly, placed on her feet thanks to Ankh.

"Ankh-chan!" Hakufu gasped, seeing the red arm without anyone attached to it. "What about Kokin?"

"Don't worry about him right now. Here." He opened his palm and tossed the three Core Medals to her. Hakufu gasped in delight as she saw the coins flying at her. Catching them, she quickly glanced at them and found them to be the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals which she was so familiar with. She had sort of been hoping to see new Medals that she wasn't so familiar with, but at the moment she really didn't have any room to complain.

"Thanks, Ankh-chan!" Hakufu beamed.

"You know how much of a pain it would be to find someone else to be OOO?" Ankh grunted before he pointed at the Bee Yummy. "Now, destroy that thing if you really want to."

Hakufu nodded and took out the OOO Driver, which Ankh thankfully hadn't been able to claim like he had the three Core Medals before. Putting it on the front of her waist, the belt materialised in an instant. The Bee Yummy was recovering so Hakufu acted quickly. She put the Medals into their respective slots, one by one, tilting the belt to the left, and then grabbed the disc-like scanner. As the Bee Yummy managed to get back up to its feet, she swung the scanner over the belt buckle.

"Henshin!"

"**TAKA! TORA! BATTA!"**

"**TA-TO-BA TATOBA TA-TO-BA!"**

The flying medals quickly appeared and spun around her body before they collided and formed into the composite Taka, Tora and Batta Medal that slammed into her chest. In a flash of light upon the impact, the TaToBa Combo armour of OOO enveloped her body.

"Alright!" She pointed at the Yummy, "In the name of my school, I am going to punish you!"

"Just fight it," grumbled Ankh.

OOO and the Bee Yummy charged at one another, aiming to take each other down with the most punishing blows they could muster. OOO swung wide, but missed as the Yummy kicked at her side, managing to score a hit, but the armour managed to stave off the worst of the damage, if not the pain. Managing to work through it, OOO belted the Yummy in the face, making it stumble before she pressed onward and used a roundhouse kick which impacted against the side of the Yummy's head. The impact sent the monster spinning, but it quickly recovered, getting back to its knees. Raising its hands, OOO watches as stingers made of orange energy rose from its fingertips before it thrust its hands out, launching the stingers at her.

"Ow! Ow! Hey!" OOO cried as the stingers impacted against her, making sparks rain from her suit

"Would you get serious already?" demanded Ankh hotly.

"I am!" OOO insisted, clenching her fists. The Tora section of her armour flashed as her anger rose and the Tora Claws unfolded from her gauntlets, giving her weapons to use. OOO immediately put them to use as she charged, aiming to attack the Yummy with her more potent weapons. The Yummy fired again with its energy stingers, but OOO blocked them with her claws or merely swiped them out of the air. Reaching the Yummy, she unleashed powerful slashes which raked across its chest, making it scream and roll away. However, its chest was covered in gaping wounds which spilled out Cell Medals as green energy attempted to close the wounds again.

"Oi! Hakufu!" Ankh shouted, catching his tool's attention. "Swipe the O-scanner across the Core Medals a second time to use their power in a singular combined attack! This Yummy won't be able to survive it in the state it's in!"

"Gotcha Ankh-chan!" OOO nodded, recalling the claws. Gripping the scanner, she brought it to her buckle and swiped it across the three coins in it, making yet another three chiming noises.

"**SCANNING CHARGE!**"

The three coins flashes as OOO felt power flood into her body. In her preparation to jump, her legs took on the appearance of grasshopper legs as more and more power flooded into her. Feeling the power peak she leaped into the air, leaving a green trail of energy behind her. Reaching the apex of her jump, a red ring formed in front of her, followed by a yellow ring, and finally a green one. Extending her now normal foot for a kick, she passed through the red ring, leaving a red trail of energy shaped like a hawk's wings. She then passed through the yellow ring, enveloping her body in yellow energy which took the form of a tiger's head. Finally she passed through the green ring, making green energy surround her foot like a grasshopper's leg, poised for a devastating kick!

"HIYAAAAHHHHHHH!" she roared, ready to end the Yummy's life.

*SHA-KROOM*

"AUGH!"

Only to be blasted out of the sky by a bolt of green lightning.

OOO landed on the ground with a thud and a groan, her torso smoking from the bolt. Ready to curse the weather for its lousy timing, she looked up and saw that she, the Yummy, and Ankh were no longer alone in the park. Approaching from the south behind the Yummy was a new monster. This one was mostly black and green with antennae coming from its head and shoulders. Overall it looked like a bug, but the weird thing was that its legs didn't look like a bug's at all.

"Uva," Ankh growled with a clenched fist. "You're looking well."

"Ankh!" the bug-man snarled, glaring at the disembodied arm. "I want my property back! Give me my Core Medals!"

"Ankh-chan, do you know this guy?" OOO asked. Uva looked to OOO and glared as he spotted his Batta Medal in her belt. Just seeing such an important item to him being used by someone else made his blood boil in fury. Being the most temperamental of the Greeed, Uva didn't have much control over his emotions and as such, when he got mad, he got **mad**.

"GIVE ME MY MEDAL!" the insect Greeed roared as he charged at OOO, with full fury.

"Huh?" OOO blinked, looking back at Uva. "Me?"

"My Core Medals, give them back! Give them back!" Uva roared as he charged at OOO. He slashed at her, impacting against her torso with a rain of sparks that made her cry out as she rolled back to avoid another hit. The Tora Claws came out and she slashed back at him, but he instantly blocked with his own arm blades before retaliating with a hard kick into her midsection. The force of the blow caused OOO to choke on lack of oxygen as she stumbled back yet again from the force of the blow. Seeing that OOO was for the moment incapacitated, Uva made a grab for the OOO Driver "Hand it over!"

"Hands off!" OOO shouted before punching Uva in the face, making him stumble backwards, trying to get his suitably rattled senses back in line. It managed to give OOO the time she needed to get her breathing back to normal so she could put up a decent fight.

Ankh merely grimaced as he watched the scene. He hadn't been expecting his former comrades to be appearing so soon. He certainly didn't peg Hakufu as ready to take on the Greeed herself yet either. Ideally, she would have been useful in taking on the Yummy so he could make a new body for himself. By then he'd take the OOO Driver and fight them off himself, collecting Core Medals as he went along his way.

Now it seemed they weren't getting out of this until Uva either killed the girl or got his Core Medals back. Ankh didn't like it, but he was going to have to intervene again.

"Hakufu, take this!" Ankh tossed the Kamakiri Medal to her. She caught it and quickly replaced the Tora Medal with it, grabbing the O Scanner at the same time. She then swung it over the Medals.

"**TAKA! KAMAKIRI! BATTA!**"

The Tora section of OOO's suit was quickly replaced with a Kamakiri section, but it didn't seem to intimidate Uva by any means. Instead, it actually seemed to make him even angrier than before, if that was even possible.

"Damn you…" Uva scowled, seeing another of his Core Medals in the hands of OOO. "How dare you use my Core Medals without permission**?**!"

OOO gripped the Kamakiri Swords as Uva charged at her. Once he got in range, she slashed with both swords. He grunted. She then jumped up and slammed both her feet into his chest, knocking him down as she did a back flip to land on her feet. Uva got up and shot bolts of lightning at OOO, zapping her. She screamed out as pain rocketed through her body. The armour may have protected her from a reasonable amount of damage, but electricity wasn't one of the things it protected her from beyond the impact.

"Damn, at this rate she'll be killed," muttered Ankh. "Oi, get back up!"

Uva stalked towards OOO, hoping to get his stolen Core Medals from her, and even kill her. She was OOO and a threat to their existence. Reaching the downed female Fighter, he grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her up to her feet. Glancing down, he reached for her belt a second time, even more intent on claiming his two Medals.

"Sucker punch!"

Uva would have blinked at the completely random cry that OOO had made, but his mind was quite distracted by the onset of a massive amount of pain that he had been just dealt as he felt the fighter's hand burrow into his side through the use of a particularly powerful punch. "AAAAAHHHHH!"

OOO blinked when she felt her hand actually bust through the Greeed's body, burrowing inside. She hadn't thought that she had punched hard enough to impale someone. Maybe it was the added strength that the suit gave her, she did punch as hard as she could after all, hoping a shot to where she hoped his kidneys were would be enough to get him to back off and maybe reconsider trying to kill her for the day. Even weirder, she didn't feel anything gooey like she thought the inside of a person would be. Looking down at where she had punched the bug-man, she saw Cell Medals spilling out from around her wrist where it was burrowed into the monster's side. Clenching her fist and incidentally grabbing a handful of the coins, she yanked them out in a single motion, spilling even more Cell Medals across the ground.

"GAH!" Uva bellowed, clutching his wound, trying to keep Cell Medals in his body even as a few spilled out from around his hands. "You little-!"

"Hakufu!" Ankh interrupted, soaring towards OOO, trying to see into her hand. "Did you grab any Core Medals? Open your hand so I can see, girl!"

"Fine, fine!" OOO huffed, opening her hand. Ankh was optimistic for a moment, but soon slumped in disappointment to see that all she had collected were simple Cell Medals rather than the Core medals he had been hoping for. Still, they were Cell Medals which Uva didn't have anymore so that was a plus.

Uva snarled as he tried to keep his Cell Medals inside of his body, but the wound was closing too slowly and made it a handicap in the fight. He had underestimated OOO and now if he tried fighting her, he'd be risking his Core Medals. Sheer luck allowed him to lose only his Cell Medals and those were easily replaced. Glancing over, he saw that his Yummy had recovered and so barked at it, "Oi! We're leaving! Now!"

"Hai Uva-sama!" the Bee Yummy nodded. As one, both Greeed and Yummy leaped into the air. However, the Yummy spread its wings and flew away while Uva used his highly powered leg muscles and leaped off of trees and buildings, breaking everything he leaped off of in the process.

"Next time we'll take your Core Medals too!" Ankh shouted after the retreating Uva.

"Whew!" OOO sighed, dropping onto her butt, relieved that the fight was over. "Man, that guy was tough! He's even tougher than that watermelon guy I fought a while ago."

"You were lucky, that's what," Ankh sighed, glancing at Hakufu. "Now come on. I've got to get back to my host. I doubt anyone found him but I don't want to run the risk. And hand over those Cell Medals!"

"Yeah, yeah," OOO muttered, holding out the handful of Medals she collected from Uva. Ankh snapped forward and absorbed the whole load of them through his palm. It didn't seem to give any kind of outward reaction in OOO's mind, but it seemed to make Ankh happier. "Should we collect the ones here on the ground too?"

"Of course!" Ankh snapped. "Now help me!"

"Bossier than Mom," OOO grumbled as she got up and began picking the silver coins off of the ground.

* * *

Once Ankh was comfortable and reattached to Kokin's body, it was time for Hakufu to ask a few questions considering the Greeed she'd fought before. Both were back at Nanyo and it had taken some convincing to get Ryomou and Gakushu to leave them alone, but since they assumed Ankh was Kokin, they let the pair be in favour of looking for Saji, who was still MIA. Most of the female students were a little freaked out about the perverted monster which had attacked the school, but calm began to reassert itself once it was determined that the monster was long gone. Since one of the classrooms had been totalled by the resulting fight, the students were given a free study period while the teachers decided what to do. As such, Hakufu and Ankh used it as an opportunity to talk in their half-empty classroom.

"So just who was that bug guy anyway?" Hakufu asked, referring to Uva. "He didn't seem to like you very much."

"That was Uva, and like me he's one of the Greeed," explained Ankh.

"So, that guy was a Greeed?"

"Besides Uva and me, there are three others. Their names are Cazali, Mezul and Gameru," Ankh informed her.

"When I hit that Uva guy, he also bled Cell Medals," said Hakufu. "So, that means you guys are kinda like Yummies, right?"

Ankh snorted, but Hakufu was mostly right, "Yes, like the Yummies we are made of Cell Medals, but we also possess the Core Medals."

"Yeah, but what is the big difference between Core Medals and Cell Medals?" Hakufu asked.

Ankh tapped his chin, thinking of how he could explain the concept of Cell Medals and Core Medals to Hakufu in a way that she could understand. Having absorbed a few of his host's memories and from personal experiences, he knew Hakufu wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. After a moment of pondering, he got an idea, "To answer that, I have to ask you a question. Since you like fighting so much, you've probably picked a fight with common street thugs, haven't you? Ones who don't wear magatama?"

"Oh sure," Hakufu nodded. "They're really weak so it's easy to beat them. It's not really all that fun but it happens sometimes when I would walk home by myself and they tried to get me to go with them."

"Right, sure," Ankh nodded. "Now tell me this, what makes the difference between those thugs and Fighters like you, Ryomou, and Gakushu? What sets them apart?"

"Ummmm," Hakufu frowned, trying to think of an answer. It took her a moment to think of something, but she did. "Oh, I know! The magatama! It's what sets apart Fighters from other people! Everyone who has one gets the urge to grow stronger and fight! Well, at least I was told that…I think."

"There you go," Ankh replied. "To answer your question then, the Yummies are like the common thugs who have limited skills and are supposed to follow orders. We Greeed on the other hand are the Fighters and the Core Medals are our magatama, the source of our powers."

"Wow!" Hakufu gasped.

"To elaborate, each of us Greeed need to continually collect Cell Medals in order to keep our bodies complete since using our powers burns up Cell Medals. Likewise getting wounded costs us Cell Medals like you've no doubt learned from fighting Uva," Ankh continued. "Our power stems from the Core Medals. Each of us Greeed only has nine of them and each three are marked with the same animal and all nine in a group share the colour of the Greeed they came from."

"So…what is each of the coins?" asked Hakufu, now intensely curious.

"For starters, my Medals are red," Ankh sighed. "Each of them are themed after birds. Right now I am only in possession of two of my own Core Medals, which somewhat explains my rather diminished body. It was all I could really harness with only two Core Medals and the limited Cell Medals available at the awakening."

"But don't you have those other three?" asked Hakufu.

"Yes, but they're useless to me unless I have all of the Core Medals," Ankh answered. "To continue, Uva's Medals are insect themed, just like his Yummy. If you're fighting a bug Yummy, you know where it came from. His Core Medals are green and we have two of them which can explain why his legs weren't properly covered. He doesn't have the power needed to maintain his form that far."

"Okay…"

"Third is Cazali, who is based after felines," Ankh went on, holding the Tora Medal up. "We have one of his and they're all yellow. Likewise all of his Yummies are based off cats."

"Who's next?"

"Mezul, who's the only female and probably the trickiest in the whole group," Ankh replied. "Her Core Medals are blue and all of them are based off marine creatures. Like the others, her Yummies are based off of animals found in the water."

"Sounds tough."

"You want tough? Try Gameru," Ankh snorted. "He's the strongest physically out of all of us, even if he is dumber than a post. He's based off of large and heavy animals with his Core Medals all being gray. It was likely his Yummy that had attacked you and your cousin when you first met me. I'm surprised it had so many Cell Medals to give since they burn them out like there's no tomorrow."

"Sounds strong…and exciting!" Hakufu grinned. "So if you Greeed guys have been sealed up, how did you get out?"

"Well, you can give me that credit," Ankh shrugged. "You see, a crack appeared in our tomb which allowed me and the others to wake up. Unfortunately, I had lost most of my Core Medals and the other four probably weren't going to be merciful in my weakened state. So as a bunch of Cell Medals managed to slip through the cracks in the tomb, I manifested a physical form with them and undid the seal. I had thought that I would be able to get my body back when the seal was undone, but the others snatched up all of the Cell Medals and I was left with what I had. So I took the belt and fled, but dropped one of my Core Medals in the process. The same one you picked up. The rest, is history."

* * *

Uva was pissed. Being forced to retreat was something that really pissed him off. He wanted to go back there and kill OOO and take his Core Medals. However, she managed to wound him and he'd lost a good amount of Cell Medals in the process. If he tried to fight her any longer, then he'd probably lose a few more of his Core Medals, which he could not risk. If he told the other Greeed about how he'd run from the new OOO, well Cazali would laugh at him, Mezul would pity him which was bad enough and Gameru…well, Gameru was a muscle bound idiot.

At the very least, his Yummy wasn't destroyed. He could still use it to gather more Cell Medals and to deal with OOO. It wasn't fully mature. It could still grow some more.

"Uva-sama…" the Bee Yummy worried over its creator as the pair of them holed up on a rooftop, a green banner unfurling across the area as Uva's ambient energy claimed the spot as territory. It would be a signal to his fellow Greeed as to where he was but humans would get the urge to vacate unless he was concealing his power.

"Ugh," Uva grumbled, checking his wound. It was smaller, but still big enough to fit an apple through as compared to the grapefruit it could hold before. Still, it was too big for his liking and he had lost more Cell Medals on the way to his hiding place. Snorting, he looked over to his Yummy, "You, give me some Cell Medals, now!"

The Bee Yummy nodded and held its arm over its creator. Shaking its arm slightly, several Cell Medals dropped from its limbs like rain before phasing into Uva's torso. As the Cell Medals were incorporated into his body, his wound pulsed with green energy and vanished completely. Several more Cell Medals had Uva back onto his feet as if nothing happened, although his Yummy looked like it was out of breath from giving away so many of its Medals.

"OOO caught me off guard, but never again," he frowned to himself. Looking over to his Yummy, he began giving orders. "Go and collect Cell Medals. Make as many as you possibly can, do you understand? Don't stop until I call you or OOO tries to fight you again. Failure is not an option!"

"Hai Uva-sama!" the Bee Yummy nodded before it took to the skies again.

* * *

"We should go look for that Yummy," suggested Ankh. They were still in their free study period and the Greeed was getting antsy. He now knew that a confirmed Yummy was out there with a bunch of Cell Medals ready to be claimed. He didn't like the thought of the Yummy getting away so it could hand over all those Cell Medals to Uva and whichever of his former comrades the insect Greeed felt generous with, most likely Cazali or Mezul since Uva was easily swayed or duped if you told him something he wanted to hear.

"You're right!" agreed Hakufu. "It could be attacking more innocent people!"

Ankh had a different reason for going after the Yummy, which wasn't as selfless as Hakufu's. He just wanted all the Cell Medals it had. Still, Hakufu was motivated enough so it didn't matter to him why she fought. As long as she dealt with them and the other Greeed, that was good enough for him.

"Considering what it's been devouring, I can guess that it'll go after more of those frilly things you female humans wear," suggested Ankh. "In large quantities, perhaps, to gain more power."

"So, it gets stronger from eating girls' underwear?" Hakufu asked.

"No, desire. Uva's Yummy was created from a human's desire so it's basically devouring whatever the human it was made from desires the most!" Ankh told her. "Tell me, where can someone find large quantities of underwear?"

Hakufu took some time to think about it and Ankh sighed. "The lingerie store!"

"Fine, then let's go already! I don't know where that is!" Ankh sighed.

"Right!" the excitable blonde nodded before she grabbed Ankh's hand and charged for the exit.

* * *

**Shopping District**

Chou-un Shiryuu was a woman who many would consider to be the epitome of Japanese beauty. She had pale skin which looked almost like china glass and every step she took spoke of grace and elegance, not to mention coordination and experience. Her figure was definitely nothing to scoff at either which could turn several heads even though she was simply wearing her school uniform at the moment. The only real thing that one would think would make her beauty close to exotic was her long silver hair which would almost shimmer in direct sunlight. However, as beautiful as she was, she was also a Fighter and skills became before beauty in her life. That fact was made quite clear with the katana that was in her hand which she carried at all times. One never did know when a battle between Fighters would break out so it was best to be prepared at all times.

At the moment she was doing a shopping run for herself and the other girls of her home, collecting necessary supplies. It was her turn to do such since she and her fellow bodyguards Kanu Unchou and Chouhi Ekitoku were on rotating watch for their leader Ryubi. Chouhi and Kanu were to protect the bespectacled girl for the day while Chou-un was to get some necessary shopping done. Normally Chou-un should have been in school, but with so few people to do the chores such as this it made it necessary. There were only six people living at the shrine which the leader of Seito called home and Ryubi was often never allowed to go anywhere without supervision lest she become targeted and going outside of the normal schedule made it harder to protect her, which wasn't allowed in this tense peace as the balance of power rested. Kouchu Kansho, the monk who was in charge of the shrine was certainly capable, but given the intimate feminine nature of some of the supplies needed that day, it was best he didn't do it since he got so easily flustered and it would have been embarrassing for a man to get those items anyway. Finally there was Koumei Shokatsuryou, but for all of her maturity in some ways, she was still too young to be alone in the shopping district. That left Chou-un to get the necessary items that she and the older girls needed for the time being.

A prudent fact to know about Chou-un was that she never opened her eyes. Why she didn't was only known to a select few who knew her best. She was not blind, but chose to instead rely on her other senses to see her through her days. One would think that it would be a liability to be a Fighter without sight and indeed many low-ranked Fighters thought the same. However, the higher-ranked fighters who knew of her knew better. Chou-un's senses were so sharp she didn't need her sight with her other senses compensating so well for her. It certainly made shopping just as easy for her as it was for anyone else, if not more so. She could use her sense of smell to find food and other products which she would attribute to her friends and fellow Fighters or her sense of touch to tell which the best to be bought was. More often than not she ended up bringing the best things home with her.

At the moment the silver-haired Fighter was feeling a little like splurging and decided to see if some new underwear was in order for her. Some of her older pairs seemed to be getting a little too tight after all and it would be a fair amount of time before she was rotated out of guarding Ryubi again. Taking the opportunity, she examined what was for sale, touching the frilly items to see which she deemed would be the best for her. She didn't have very complex tastes, but perhaps something more enticing could be called for, if only for the fun of knowing she had it. A Fighter she may be, but she was also a woman.

All of a sudden she heard glass shattering. Reacting on instinct, she grabbed her sword to prepare against the threat. Women were screaming and yelling, but unless her hears were deceiving her, they were screaming about a monster. Dropping her bags and heading closer to the source of the noise and could hear heavy footsteps from something that was definitely not normal. Oddly enough, at the same time was the heavy footsteps, she could hear coins jingling as if they were inside whatever was making the footsteps.

Frowning, she continued to approach the source of the commotion, drawing her sword.

At the front of the store, the Bee Yummy had smashed through the front doors and instantly went for the lingerie, gulping it down like there was no tomorrow. With each set it ate, it could feel more and more Cell Medals compressing into its body, making it stronger. With no OOO to get in its way, it didn't have to worry about getting attacked and such could accomplish the orders that Uva had given it after he had recovered

The drawing of steel captured its attention.

Turning, it spotted one human who hadn't run away in terror who sported a katana and silver hair. She had her eyes closed, which confused the Yummy, but it didn't matter. She was obviously challenging it. Still, Uva had ordered it to just collect Cell Medals and not bother with anyone else. Still, a challenge was being made and this human female didn't look like she was going to back down if the Yummy went back to his harvesting.

Decisions, decisions…

* * *

Ankh and Hakufu had arrived at the scene and saw the lingerie store's door had been smashed open. "It's here," Ankh confirmed. It was made more obvious as women ran out shouting something about a monster and a few shouted how it was eating all the merchandise. Even Hakufu could take a hint from a clue that obvious.

"So, what's the plan?" Hakufu asked as she put on the OOO Driver.

"Go in and kill it," Ankh summarised, handing the Core Medals to Hakufu.

"Sounds good!" Hakufu grinned as she prepared to slip the Medals into the Driver.

*CRASH!*

One of the unbroken windows of the store suddenly exploded outwards as a girl with silver hair and a sword was hurtled out of the building before she landed on her feet in the parking lot, skidding slightly. She was wearing a uniform Hakufu hadn't seen before, but there were several cuts in it marked with blood as well as some dribbling from her mouth. She was panting slightly, indicating that she had been working for the fight. A sword was clenched in her hands, but it didn't seem to be doing her any good if she was covered in wounds like she was. The wind blew slightly, brushing her hair away to reveal a magatama hanging from her ear.

"Another Fighter!" Hakufu gasped, but Ankh just wanted to groan in annoyance.

"Why can't you people every run away from the monsters like normal people?" he asked with a sigh.

"Because we're not normal Ankh-chan!" Hakufu replied smugly.

"So you're all stupid then?" asked the bird Greeed.

"Hey!"

"Whatever," Ankh shrugged. "Just kill that thing and make some Medals."

Hakufu rolled her eyes as she put on the OOO Driver before slotting the Core Medals one by one into their respective slots, slanting the buckle to the left when she was done. She took the O Scanner and swung it over the Core Medals.

"Henshin!" she called.

"**TAKA! TORA! BATTA!"**

"**TA-TO-BA TATOBA TA-TO-BA!"**

Chou-un, who had overheard the conversation, stiffened as she felt the pulse of power coming from nearby. She knew that the pair of people who hadn't run away knew something about what was going on, if they weren't already deep into it. What concerned her was that one of them almost spoke in two voices. It was very faint and she doubted anyone but people like her with enhanced sense could have been able to discern the difference, but it was like that one person was actually two people himself. The power she felt coming as that strange chant was made though…it seemed that something new had entered the war of the Fighters…

When Hakufu was done transforming into OOO, the Bee Yummy walked out of the door but something was different about it. Its stomach was bulging. "It got fat," she remarked. "Did it gain weight?"

"No," Ankh responded, his eyes narrowing. "It's gained too many Cell Medals for its body to take."

The Bee Yummy opened its mouth wide and Cell Medals spilled out. They didn't drop to the ground, however. Instead, they started to envelope the Yummy like some sort of metal cocoon and said cocoon was expanding and changing shape. A pair of wings formed and buzzed, taking the Cell Medal enveloped Yummy into the air. The Cell Medals then morphed into a new form and in a flash of light they melded together to form a gigantic bee with hands at the tip of its long legs and mandibles that looked like hands as well. It also sported a wicked stinger.

"That is one big bug," OOO remarked at the gigantic bee-like monster flying in the sky.

"Looks like it managed to gather a lot of Cell Medals," said Ankh, eyeing the monster greedily. "Alright!" He patted OOO's shoulder. "Go and get it!"

Grumbling about Ankh being bossy, OOO got into a fighting stance, although she wasn't completely sure just how she was going to fight a Yummy that was so big. The now gigantic Bee Yummy stared down at her and started to dive down with its stinger aimed at her. She dodged out of the way, rolling along the ground so she wouldn't get skewered. The Bee Yummy buzzed angrily and slammed into OOO, sending her flying before she crashed into a nearby parked car. She groaned in pain.

An ammunition shell suddenly struck the Yummy, exploding and causing it to screech out at Cell Medals started to spill out of it. Surprised, OOO and Ankh looked to see a motorcyclist with a smoking bazooka.

"Who's that?" OOO asked as the man got off his Ride Vendor and took off his helmet. It was revealed to be a man with short dark hair and a strong jaw line. Reaching to the back of his motorcycle, he picked up what looked like a long white box with pink ribbon on it. Seemingly unconcerned about the giant bee screeching as it tried to heal itself, he walked up to OOO and presented the box to her, much to her and Ankh's confusion.

"Consider this a birthday present from someone special," said Goto.

"But, it's not my birthday yet," answered OOO, confused. Goto handed her the box and lifted the lid to reveal a very impressive looking black sword with blue highlights. Near its handle seemed to be a slot which was perfect for coins to slip into. Set in tissue paper near the sword were several Cell Medals. "Whoa…" OOO took out the sword. "Awesome."

"The Medajilabur," Goto explained. He took the Cell Medals out. "Here, put one of these in the vending machine over there," instructed Goto as he gestured to a nearby machine.

"I'm not really thirsty," refused OOO politely. Well, she could have used the drink after running to the scene to be honest, but she was supposed to be fighting the Yummy and those black vending machinesnever had anything she liked. All it had were those red cans with bird markings on them and the blue cans with octopus markings. She didn't really know what was in those cans and she wasn't about to experiment since for all she knew, she could end up buying chicken and octopus juice!

Goto ordered, "Just do it," as he handed OOO the Cell Medals. "Then, press the big button on the front."

OOO took the Cell Medals, still giving Goto an odd look, before going to said vending machine. She dropped the Cell Medal into the coin slot and as instructed she pushed the large black button which was underneath the selection of cans available. OOO jumped as she watched the vending machine suddenly transform into a motorbike identical to the one Goto had rode in on. "Wow!" She gushed as she practically leaped on. "It's a bike! I've always wanted one of these!"

Goto rolled his eyes at the excitable teen hero and then pushed a button on his bike which reverted it back to its vending machine form. "Something else too." He dropped a Cell Medal into the coin slot and pushed the buttons under the blue soda cans that were on display.

"**TAKOCAN!"**

Several dozen of the blue soda cans were dispensed by the machine. Picking one up, he pulled the tab and the can then opened up to become a robotic octopus. The rest of the cans also opened up to become similar robotic octopi. Their tentacles spun around and they floated in the air, making squeaking noises as they began spreading in all directions, taking in the environment so they could do…whatever it was that robot octopi were supposed to do.

"Kawaii…" OOO uttered, finding the squeaking blue robots absolutely adorable.

Ankh was a little freaked out at what he was seeing.

The Big Bee Yummy had already finished healing itself and buzzed angrily. Now it was rapidly firing its stingers at OOO. Acting quickly, she drove the bike, avoiding the stingers as they crashed into the asphalt and other cars. Sheer luck allowed the Ride Vendor to start its engines when it transformed, allowing OOO to only hit the ignition to get moving. The Octopus Candroids weren't idle either as they started to bond together, forming a sort of bridge that was leading up towards the Yummy. OOO saw what the cute robots were doing and knew what she needed to do. Using the makeshift bridge, she drove the bike up so she was close to the airborne Yummy and then she leapt off the bike. She landed on the Yummy's back and stabbed the sword into its thorax. It started bucking about to throw her off but she kept a firm grip on the sword. Its thrashing increased as she held on for dear life.

However, the bucking about wasn't helping the Yummy as OOO new sword dug a deep gouge, causing the wound to spit out several Cell Medals which rained down onto the ground below. Ankh was of course already trying to catch them so he could rebuild more of his body. Hey, the Yummy was high up while all of the Medals were down below. It was safe enough for him to go that far at least.

"OOO!" Goto shouted up at the struggling Fighter. "You can insert Cell Medals into your Medajilabur and use your scanner to activate the weapon for a final attack!"

"I can?" OOO gasped, managing to hear Goto fine thanks to the enhanced senses the Taka section of her armour allowed.

"What?" Ankh cried, missing a Cell Medal so it bonked onto his host's head. Did he hear that new human right? How did he know about OOO's equipment, and how did he mange to get those Cell medals which had been in the box anyway?

Deciding to try the new person's advice, OOO dug her hand into the wound of the Yummy and yanked out three Cell Medals. While still struggling to stay in place, she slipped the Medals into the slot on the sword, making a chiming noise, then two, and finally three with each insertion. Finding a small handle on the weapon, she pressed it, allowing the three Medals to appear in the blade itself through a small window. Incidentally, the Medals had a bird, a tiger, and a grasshopper inscribed on them much like the Core Medals she was using. A particularly hard buck almost knocked her off, but she managed to recover and grab her O Scanner before swiping it across the three Medals in her sword.

"**TRIPLE SCANNING CHARGE!**"

The Yummy threw her off soon after but the Octopus Candroids bonded together to form a trampoline that broke her fall. OOO merely bounced off of them with squeaks heralding their movement before she landed on her feet wobbling slightly in surprise. "Those cute little guys sure are handy!"

The enraged Bee Yummy flew straight towards her, blinded by rage, and not realizing it was flying straight towards its death. Gripping the Medajilabur tight, she waited for the monster to come in range. At the last second when it tried to bash into her, she bent backwards using her knees and held the Medajilabur with its tip pointed up. The sword sliced the Bee Yummy right down the middle as it flew over her and then split completely in half before exploding, causing Cell Medals to rain down from the fireball.

"Mine! My Cell Medals!" Ankh shouted, dashing to the scene as he tried to absorb as many of the coins as he could. "Don't just stand there! Help me!"

"Oh, right!" OOO nodded, beginning to try and grasp the Cell Medals which were falling from the air.

Outside of the falling Medals, Goto watched the pair with narrowed eyes, "Not how I would have done it, but it works I suppose."

* * *

Hakufu and Ankh were on their way home. The Greeed looked really satisfied as he had managed to gain a substantial amount of Cell Medals from the Bee Yummy's destruction. Hakufu gave her possessed cousin's body a wary look. A monster was possessing him in order to move about unnoticed. This also kept Kokin alive. She still felt a measure of guilt that she couldn't help him when the Bear Yummy had hurt him so bad that it sent him into a coma.

What bugged her about Ankh was that he valued Cell Medals more than people. Still, she had to be grateful to him for providing her with the OOO Driver and Core Medals which allowed her to fight Yummy. She had felt stronger, stronger than she could ever imagine. She could beat all the other Fighters with the powers of OOO if she wanted.

That is, if she wanted to. She had no desire to seek out the other Fighters. She simply wanted to use OOO to protect people from the Yummy. When she was a little girl, she liked to watch superhero TV shows and read manga about superheroes when her mom wasn't putting her through martial arts training or trying to teach her flower arranging and tea ceremony. That was where her sense of justice came from. Those heroes had been selfless and she sought to emulate them.

Now that the excitement for the day was done, she just had one trial left.

Convincing her mom that Ankh was really Kokin.

* * *

Chou-un grimaced as her wounds stung her once again as she made her way back to the shrine with what supplies she had been able to recover from the ruined store. Thankfully she had managed to save Chouhi's snacks or else the fellow Fighter wouldn't have given her peace for a while. At the moment, peace was what she desperately needed as she tried to go over what she had been witness to.

After that girl transformed, Chou-un had withdrawn from the fight so to try and figure out just what was going on. She had even opened her eyes to see everything so she could make a proper report. What she had seen was nothing short of incredible. Armoured fighters, giant monsters, transforming machines, it was enough to bring even her experienced mind to a halt and she had thought she had seen everything considering a role as a Fighter.

Still, as amazing as that battle was, the threat that the monster represented was quite clear. It had managed to strike her several times during their short battle, a feat which no fighter could claim to date. Chou-un hadn't recalled having to work so hard in a battle since the last time she had sparred with Kanu. Whatever the monster was supposed to be, it was strong, skilled, and fast. She didn't know where it came from, but it was a definite threat and Chou-un didn't quite believe that it was by itself either.

She had to warn the others.

* * *

**Seito**

The Seito library was mostly empty, as most people had gone home for the day. However, there was one person who was still at one of the desks, reading like she was ravenous and the books were food. Ryubi had been in the library all day, even skipping classes to stay there and continue reading. Around her were dozens of books, piled on top of each other, making what appeared to be a small fortress around her. She hadn't stopped reading since that morning and her stomach was growling, but she ignored it in favour of reading more books.

Above her, the egg sack which Mezul had created from her continued to swell and grow.

* * *

**Kyosho**

"**BASICS! BASICS!**"

Kakoton's cries were heard from the grounds of Kyosho and had been heard all day, but no one paid him any mind since they were used to it. Skipping class was something new, but as one of the top Fighters and a personal friend of Sousou, he was given some leeway. He had been training himself all day, smashing dummies, targets, trees, brick walls, anything solid enough to take a punch he used to train with until it eventually crumbled. As useful as it might be, he didn't look good after so many hours of training. He was sweating, his clothes were drenched and dirty, and his knuckles were bleeding from punching so many things. However, he didn't stop. He just kept right on going with an intense yellow glow in his eyes.

* * *

KR Chrome: Well, the second chap of the Kamen Rider OOO and Ikki Tousen crossover is done. Paladin and I took our sweet time but I think we did a gr8 job! Anyway, we present it to you with lots of…well, y'know…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Of Deals, Books, and Shark Attacks**

**Written By: Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome**

**Edited By: Shadow Element 13**

**Idea Provided By: Tailsmo4ever**

**In Previous Chapters…**

Saying that the status quo of the war of the Fighters had been shifted was a bit of an understatement at the moment. Monsters that were almost as old as the war itself suddenly appeared and didn't waste anytime in making their mark. They had already proven to be more than capable of handling even the top-ranked Fighters. Uva busted up Saji really hard, forcing the womanizer to the ground and be used to produce one of the destructive Yummy. No doubt he would have quite the story to tell when he recovered from the beating. Kakoton of Kyosho didn't fare any better. Cazali took him down in a matter of five seconds, a feat which a grand total of ONE fighter could claim. Ryomou of Nanyo tried to subdue their Yummy with one of her dreaded submission holds. Unfortunately, it turned out to be completely ineffective, and that left her bare-chested as a result of the surprise counterattack. Chou-un of Seito walked away from the same Yummy which had then evolved with several cuts on her body, a feat which no other Fighter could claim credit for.

Only Hakufu Sonsaku could claim to be an exception. With the help of the rebel Greeed, Ankh, she was able to become the armoured defender, Kamen Rider OOO. With the power unlike anything the Fighters wielded before, she put it to the test fighting first the Bear Yummy who harmed her cousin and then a Bee Yummy which attacked her school. Normally Hakufu would have nothing to do with killing a person. However, with the Yummy threatening her family and friends, she made her choice and destroyed both without batting an eye.

The dust had officially settled after the first two Yummy attacks, but the story has only just begun.

* * *

**Kougami Foundation HQ**

Kougami grinned as he watched OOO's fights with the Bear Yummy, the Bee Yummy and Uva, actually pausing in the midst of making another cake to watch. He already knew how powerful the bubbly gang leader was on her own, but he also knew how much more power she had as OOO. The possibilities were infinite and the mere thought of so many possible beginnings brought a smile to his face. "This is excellent, Satonaka-kun! Who would have guessed that the power of OOO would fall into the hands of the Legendary Sho Hao?" He continued to smile as he got up and walked to the window to see the sunset. "She has the skills and the power, but not the technology or the know-how. That is where our equipment comes in. The situation couldn't be any better since we are collecting more Medals!"

"Yes. We are certainty gathering more Medals," Satonaka agreed, stacking the Cell Medals that they acquired from the first Yummy attack from her table. Just as she was about to place another Cell Medal on the top, the stack collapsed over. Satonaka slumped in disappointment.

"Have Goto-kun follow and watch over Hakufu Sonsaku and Ankh until further notice," Kougami said, staring at the skyline for a moment. It was only for a moment, because he turned around to pour powder into his newest cake mix and said, "Now then… whose birthday is it tomorrow?"

"Hai! It is the manager's," Satonaka answered, picking up a small notebook filled with birthdays of major employees.

* * *

**Kanto**

"Ankh-chan! Pay attention!"

The sun was vanishing over the horizon as Hakufu and Ankh walked back to the Shu household where the bubbly blonde called home. The leader of Nanyo was talking quickly to her possessed cousin about the dos and don'ts when concerning the household in which his body had come from. While Hakufu was trying to stress the importance of following her instructions, Ankh was content to ignore her as he toyed around with one of the Cell Medals that they had managed to gain with the defeat of the Bee Yummy earlier in the day.

"Ankh-chan! You're not listening!" Hakufu whined.

"Why should I?" asked the Greeed. "Who cares if your mother figures out I'm not really your cousin?"

"I care!" Hakufu snapped. "She's already going to flip once she hears about me fighting monsters and stuff! Who knows what she's going to do if she finds out her nephew is being controlled by one!"

"Again, why should I care how a human reacts to me?" asked Ankh.

"Because she'll flip and go on a rampage or something!" cried Hakufu. "She'll probably spank me for letting it happen or worse! Who do you think taught me how to fight?"

"So she probably sucks at it too," Ankh shrugged.

"Hey!"

"Oh do shut up!" the bird-like Greeed in human form sighed. "If you'll pipe down I suppose I'll try to keep my head down. I am no saint though. Do not expect me to act like your gutless wonder of a cousin simply so to make you feel better."

"Don't talk about Kokin that way!" Hakufu growled. "Or else I'll kick your butt so hard that Yummy will have gotten off easy!"

"Without these you won't," Ankh snickered, holding up the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals. "You may still have the Driver, which I want back I might add, but I hold the Medals which power it."

Hakufu puffed up her cheeks childishly. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you, Ankh-chan."

"Don't worry about me, Hakufu. I can take care of myself. Besides, how bad can this mother of yours be?"

"You have no idea," Hakufu grumbled.

* * *

**Seito Shrine**

Chou-un grimaced yet again as she finally reached the shrine which she and her friends called home. The cuts she had received from the bee monster were better, but still were affecting her. Reaching the front door, she slipped inside before setting her bags on the ground so she could get out of her shoes. As she did so, she could hear the rapid padding of feet approaching long before the owner of the feet reached her.

"Ryuubi-san!" a childish voice cried before a young girl who was probably elementary school age with pale green hair tied up in two ponytails appeared at the door. She was dressed in a white and blue fuku with a yellow ribbon, the colours of Seito Private School. She blinked for a moment, the bright smile on her face fading and turning to shock. "Chou-un! What happened to you?"

"Koumei," Chou-un nodded, slipping out of her shoes and reaching for her indoor slippers. "Go collect Ryuubi and the others. Something very strange happened today and I think it was an omen for things to come. I will explain everything when they're together."

"But…Ryuubi-san hasn't come home yet," The small girl, Koumei, answered. "Kanu-san and Chouhi-san aren't home either. It's just me, Kouchu, and the other monks right now."

"What?" Chou-un asked, stopping her movements, one slipper on as she reached for the other. If her eyes were open, she would have blinked in shock. "But they should have been back hours ago. Did you call their cell phones?"

"Not yet," Koumei answered. "Kouchu suggested that Ryuubi wanted to stay to read a book and knowing her, that's probably true. But still…"

"Now I'm getting even more worried," Chou-un frowned. Slipping on the slipper, she grabbed the bag of goods and stood up. "Koumei, try to call Kanu and the others while I go tend to my wounds. Once they're taken care of and we haven't heard from them, I'm going straight to Seito to see what the problem is. Something's wrong, I can feel that much."

"Right," Koumei nodded, padding away so to find her cell phone.

Chou-un frowned as she started making her trip towards where the first-aid kit was kept. Putting the supplies away would have to wait until later. Although Ryuubi had been known to not want to move as she was reading a book she was particularly interested in, none of her three bodyguards really indulged her for this long. Then again, knowing Kanu's not-so-secret affection for the glasses-wearing leader, she may have simply used her puppy-dog eyes and made Kanu cave for once. Still, after the events she was witness to that day, she wasn't going to leave anything to chance.

* * *

**Shu Household**

Hakufu and Ankh stood in front of the large house which Kokin's family had called home for generations and where Hakufu and her mother were living at the moment. Hakufu was quite visibly nervous about trying to pull one over on her mom concerning her cousin while Ankh didn't seem capable of caring any less about the situation than he already did. The only bright side to the situation was that the two didn't have to deal with Kokin's father on top of dealing with Goei. The elder Shuyu had strangely announced that he had been touched by the country lifestyle and promptly left to become a farmer. They hadn't heard from him since and he was assumedly doing well enough for himself since he had yet to return. It still left Goei to deal with and that in itself was a dangerous enough task with the sensitive information Hakufu had concerning her cousin.

"Okay," Hakufu sighed, taking a calming breath. "Here we go."

"Whatever, I'm hungry. Let's go," Ankh shrugged as he strolled towards the door.

"Ankh-chan! Wait! I have to go in first to make sure it's safe!" Hakufu cried, attempting to catch up with the possessed teen. The strawberry blonde pushed back the Greeed, making the bird-like kaijin grumble with a deep frown. Reaching the door, she slid it open before loudly proclaiming, "Tadaima!"

"Welcome back!" walking into the entry hall with a ladle was a woman who, while obviously older, still maintained a youthful look to herself despite her years. She had short auburn hair which spiked cutely near the bottom and also wore glasses which helped her with a sensual mature look. She also wore a black kimono with a red obi. If it weren't obvious enough by the ladle, the apron over her clothes and the kerchief over her hair indicated that she was cooking dinner at the moment. Her name was Goei, Hakufu's mother and the one who taught her daughter plenty of what she knew about martial arts next to a certain old man who lived in the mountains.

"Well, seems you two had an adventure today," Goei commented, noticing the scuffed up clothes that Hakufu and 'Kokin' were wearing, especially the claw marks on the front of her nephew's uniform. It likewise didn't escape her notice that her nephew now had blonde hair. "Care to tell me why your hair suddenly changed colour Kokin?"

Frowning, Ankh opened his mouth to speak, "It's-!"

"It's because he lost a bet with Saji!" Hakufu quickly piped up. "Kokin had to dye his hair since he lost! Saji said something about being able to draw in girls like he could with the right hair colour or something, yeah!"

"Oh?" Goei asked, an eyebrow raised. "Kokin seemed handsome enough to me before." Shrugging, she gestured the pair inside. "Okay then, well, dinner's going to be ready soon. I've got some hot gossip I've been dying to share since you two left today!"

"Okay!" Hakufu smiled, a nervous sweatdrop on her forehead. Skipping into the house with a sullen Ankh close behind, the teens slipped into their indoor slippers and headed towards the main living room which lay past Goei. The strawberry blonde seemed relieved that her ruse had worked and was ready to enjoy dinner so long as Ankh didn't do anything stupid. The possessed young man merely stuck his hand in his pockets and followed his 'cousin' since he didn't know where anything was despite it being his host's home. Walking past Goei, he was suddenly halted when the older woman's hand suddenly lashed out and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt. Before any protests could be made, the Greeed was hoisted off of his feet and slammed into a wall before Goei got up to his face, her eyes dangerously narrowed.

"Oi!" Ankh grunted. "What's the big idea?"

"Oh boy. Busted," Hakufu whimpered, showing an unusual amount of insight.

"You may have fooled Hakufu but you haven't fooled me!" Goei frowned darkly, her grip on Ankh's shirt tightening. "Who are you and what have you done with my nephew Kokin? I expect an answer!"

"Let me go you blasted woman!" Ankh declared hotly. Clenching his right fist, Cell Medals began wrapping around his arm up to his elbow, coated with a red aura. The Medals were there for a moment before fusing together and becoming Ankh's true form. Lashing out, he grabbed Goei's neck, attempting to push her back. "Now!"

On a regular woman, this kind of intimidation tactic might have worked. However, Goei was far from ordinary. As a mother and wife of a Fighter, she knew her way around martial arts, having taught them to her daughter in the past. Despite her flirty and somewhat ditzy nature, she had experience with combat. Grabbing Ankh's wrist, she twisted it in order to force him to relinquish his grip before slamming the possessed young man into the ground with a…

POP!

Kokin hit the ground in a slump, his hair back to normal and his magatama its regular colour again. He was clearly unconscious, but he was free of Ankh's control at the moment. Blinking at the sudden change in the young man whom she thought was impersonating her nephew**;** Goei looked at the red 'glove' that she had removed from the body. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw that it was tapping its finger against its thumb in clear frustration.

"Would you be so kind as to put me back?" the red arm asked, agitated.

"What on earth?" Goei gasped, dropping the arm. A Fighter's mother and wife she may be, and very used to odd things, but talking dismembered limbs was not one of them.

"Humans!" Ankh snorted, floating towards Kokin and reattaching himself back to the unconscious Fighter's arm, affecting the change in looks once again.

Make that flying, talking dismembered limbs. Goei just blinked in complete shock at what she had witnessed, completely unsure as to what to say for once. Having just witnessed a flying and talking arm take control of her nephew's body, this was understandable, "Wha…what…H…Hakufu…what's…going on?"

"Ummm…" the strawberry blonde sweatdropped as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Mom…meet Ankh-chan. He's going to be staying with us for a while."

"Charmed," the red Greeed sneered.

* * *

**Seito**

"This is getting ridiculous. We're going to be late and what is she doing? She's reading more of her books. If she was practicing fighting for once I'd understand, but this? Sheesh!"

The halls of Seito were more or less abandoned for the day and it was quickly becoming nightfall, making the hallways seem that much bigger and echoing. Walking down them was a pair of female students who were both donned in Seito school uniforms. The first girl had brown hair which ended at her neck and spiked slightly at the tips. Her eyes were an almost amber shade of brown and she seemed to have a healthy figure for a girl her age. Her name was Chouhi Ekitoku and she was one of the three Fighters in charge of protecting Ryuubi Gentoku. Chouhi was what one would call a bossy individual, especially when it came to trying to get Ryuubi to act like the Fighter she was supposed to be. Still, she was one of Ryuubi's best friends and she was darn proud of it. She only tried to make Ryuubi more of a Fighter so often because she didn't want to see the glasses-wearing girl hurt when they weren't around to protect her. Chouhi was also very powerful in a physical sense, able to throw people several stories up into the air, and had done so in the past, revealing that she was indeed powerful like the first Chouhi Ekitoku. It certainly helped her cement her position as one of the top Fighters in Seito like her namesake as one of the Five Tiger Generals.

At the moment she was indulging in her sweet tooth with a small bag of cookies while she complained once again about Ryuubi's habits. Next to her was a girl who was a bit taller than her and wearing the same uniform, although it was scandalously shorter, revealing more of her legs and her entire stomach. She had tanned skin, hinting at a possible mixed heritage along with long purple hair which flowed down her back and almost touched the floor, tamed only with a simple silver band to keep it from flying in all directions. One of her eyes was covered by her hair, likewise her silver magatama, making her appear more mature and exotic. Gripped in her hand was a naginata, tipped with a dragon's head with a curved blade coming out of its mouth. This girl's name was Kanu Unchou and she was hailed as one of the most powerful Fighters, one of the top five in Kanto. Kanu was usually a somewhat controlled individual and didn't often get emotional about anything, but when her honour or Ryuubi got involved, that changed. Kanu was fiercely loyal to Ryuubi and held a deep affection to her. It was really no secret, but no one who knew about it called her out on it and others who knew her but didn't know it were just dense in the first place. Still, it allowed Kanu to believe that no one knew about her feelings, which she preferred.

"It's just the way Gentoku is," Kanu shrugged in response to Chouhi's complaining. "She's probably just found a book which she found interesting and lost track of time or something."

"But she didn't even bother coming to class today!" Chouhi grumbled. "Granted she's the Leader and gets a bit of leeway sometimes but that's just not like her!"

"That I can agree with," Kanu admitted. "Still, we can just retrieve her now and find out her reasons later when we get back to the shrine."

"We don't have time for that! She could go blind if she reads without resting!" Chouhi snapped.

"What are you going to do?" asked Kanu.

"Drag her away from her books and knock her out so she can get some rest. Then when she wakes up I'll shove food down her throat!"

Kanu frowned. "That isn't very respectful…"

"Screw respect! Call this an intervention!"

Chouhi entered the library to see, as expected, Ryuubi reading. There were stacks of books all around her and it was like she hadn't even left the spot. Kanu took one look at the sight and pondered if Chouhi's idea at an intervention wasn't such a bad idea anymore. From the way Ryuubi was hopping in her chair slightly, she may not have even left to go to the bathroom unless she absolutely could not hold it any longer.

Chouhi, seeing that her point was made, walked over to the occupied leader and took her arm, "Okay Ryuubi. Enough is enough! It's time to go back home to the shrine. Now come on!"

"No!" Ryuubi resisted, trying to take her arm back, but Chouhi kept her grip strong and attempted to yank the bespectacled girl out of the chair. Her grip and insistence to stay at the table with her books was certainly strong, but Chouhi was several times stronger and slowly winning the fight. She would have won quicker, but she didn't want to hurt one of her best friends. "Leave me alone!"

"You can read more tomorrow but now we gotta go!"

Ryuubi continued to resist, her desire to read more strengthening her. Kanu watched on in increasing concern. This was not like the Ryuubi Gentoku she knew at all. True, reading took up a higher priority than most things in her mind, but the bespectacled girl was usually compliant when her bodyguards advised her to do something. Ryuubi knew there were times for reading and times for going without, but this Ryuubi in front of her seemed to be unable to make that distinction. It was as if reading was the beginning and end of all things to her and she was incapable of doing anything else unless it helped her read even more.

Above the struggling pair, one of the dozens of eggs which were suspended on the roof, bigger than the rest, broke free from the bindings in which kept it suspended. Thanks to Mezul's power, it went unnoticed as it silently dropped to the ground. Once there, the egg began to swell and grow at a rapid pace. Finally, the soft casing of the egg broke, revealing what was inside.

And then it wasn't so unnoticeable anymore.

* * *

**Shu House**

Hakufu gave her mother the summarised version of the events which had taken place lately, beginning with when Hakufu found Ankh's Core Medal, which was followed by the Bear Yummy's appearance, Hakufu transforming into OOO and Ankh taking over Kokin's body. She also told her mother about her fight with the Bee Yummy, seeing no reason to lie to her mother since her secret as OOO and Ankh were already blown wide open.

Goei was taking things rather well, or at least she seemed to be.

"Hmmm," the elder woman frowned. She looked pretty calm, but she was slightly pale from hearing what had happened to Kokin. She was all for smacking the disrespectful Ankh out of the boy, but doing so would condemn him to death.

"Um…Mom?" asked Hakufu, finding it strange that her mother had been silent for so long.

"So…just to make things clear, you and these other Greeed have been freed from an eight century long sealing into the modern day," Goei spoke up, her voice calm and serious. "However, in an attempt to prevent your comrades from gaining an advantage over you due to your…weakness, you stole their Core Medals, which as I come to understand is the source of their power. The monster attacks are in turn caused by these Yummies who the Greeed create in order to find you and collect Cell Medals to keep their bodies going. Am I missing anything?"

"That's about the gist of it," Ankh shrugged, admiring the rings on his true hand.

"I see," Goei frowned. "Then just why of all the people in Kanto did you decide to ask my daughter to help?"

"Because she seemed strong enough and she was pretty much the only person there who I could ask," Ankh answered. "Well, that and it seemed like she was probably the only person who was stupid enough to actually listen to a floating arm on how to fight a monster."

"Hey!" Hakufu snapped, glaring at her possessed cousin. "Stop calling me stupid! Besides, people who call other people stupid are the really stupid ones!"

"Not if the people they call stupid truly are stupid!" Ankh snapped back. "And half the things I've seen you do in the one day since meeting you seems to confirm it!"

"Why you-!"

"Toh!"

"Ow!" Hakufu and Ankh both cried out as Goei landed perfectly aimed karate chops into the middle of their heads. Seeing that both her daughter and possessed nephew were subdued for the moment, she sat back down and composed herself.

"Ankh-san, I will not have you calling my daughter stupid, even if she is sometimes," Goei spoke, making both Ankh and Hakufu frown at her, one of the few things they would end up agreeing on in the days to come. Goei then glanced at her daughter, "Hakufu, while I don't like the thought of you going out to fight monsters when you just had just finished getting out of that Ukitsu incident with Rakuyo just before, there's probably not much I can do to stop you. So, I give my blessings."

"I would have made her do it anyway old woman," Ankh grunted.

"Toh!" another karate chop to the head.

"Ow! Blast you!"

"Ha ha! And you call me stupid! Even I learned not to call Mom old, even if she is!"

"Toh!"

"Ow! Mom!"

"Suck it up, girl!"

Ankh grumbled and rubbed his head. One of the downsides of possessing someone was that if something happened to the body, he'd feel it as if it were his true body. Mumbling about how insanity seemed to run in Hakufu's family, he resigned himself to wait for dinner. It wasn't like he could go anywhere else anyway. He didn't have a clue about the kind of world he had awoken to, but he didn't think very much of it, filled with so many unnecessary noises and places. It was a far cry from the old days. On the other hand, his former comrades were likely as off balance as he was and with any luck they would last longer that way since…

*_Jingle, Jingle, Jingle_*

"Yummy!" the bird Greeed gasped.

"Huh?" Goei blinked, looking away from her squabbling daughter to see her possessed nephew. "Are you looking forward to my cooking already?"

"No! Another Yummy's appeared!" Ankh frowned, standing up. "Let's go Hakufu!"

"What? Again?" Hakufu whined. "Ankh-chan, don't your Greeed friends have anything else to do besides cause trouble?"

"No, now let's go!" the possessed boy huffed before he grabbed Hakufu's arm and began to drag her from the room.

"Come back soon! I'll have dinner ready!" Goei waved after the pair, but the worry was deep in her voice.

Outside the house, Ankh and Hakufu spotted two familiar looking vending machines put up for their convenience. Obviously whoever was providing the equipment knew where Hakufu lived and prepared accordingly. The worrisome part was that the machines weren't there when the pair had arrived at the Shu House so obviously someone had followed them and reported the position.

"Wow, I guess we have our ride." Ankh rolled his eyes and provided Hakufu with a Cell Medal as they approached the vending machines. "So, Ankh-chan, do you know where the Yummy is?"

Ankh put the Cell Medal into the vending machine and pushed the large button, watching as it changed into a motorbike. "Just follow my lead." He got on. Hakufu stared. "What?"

"Are you sure you know how to drive that thing?" Hakufu asked as she activated the other Ride Vendor.

"How hard can it be?" the bird Greed shrugged as he mounted the machine, finding a helmet placed on the handlebars to use. Slipping it onto his head, he reached to the handlebars and gunned the ignition. "Seeing you do it was education enough for me."

"Wow! You are smart!" Hakufu grinned, leaping onto her own machine and claiming the helmet. Safety for her noggin confirmed, she gunned her own ignition. "Let's go Ankh-chan!"

With a dual roar, both motorcycles began shooting down the road, the boy leading the girl towards their destination.

* * *

**Seito**

Chou-un dashed through the streets, racing towards her school as fast as she could. As she patched up the scratches and cuts she received from the bee monster during the day, Koumei came to her and told her that she hadn't been able to contact Ryuubi, Chouhi, or Kanu. All she had received was a ringing tone before she was told that the number she had dialled was unavailable. Leaving her wounds half treated, she instantly began leaving, telling Koumei to get Kouchu so that the both of them could get a group of their Fighters to head to Seito in case things were really bad. She had been running non-stop every since.

Sprinting around a corner, she recalled that she was getting close now. Not being reliant on her eyes, she memorized the turns and pathways which lead to Seito rather than using her sense of sight. It would be no doubt troublesome for those who were untrained, but simple enough for one such as her. However, while she was indeed very close to Seito, she was hearing noises which were knew to the Seito grounds. The first was the faint noise of jingling coins, far too many to be in someone's pocket, and the other seemed to be…running water?

"What on earth…?" the silver-haired beauty frowned as she came across Seito's front gates. Dashing onto the school property, she headed for the doors where she hard the noises of coins and running water. However, before she could reach the front doors, said doors slammed open with a torrent of water spilling out into the yard.

"WOOOAH!"

…bringing two of her fellow Fighters along for the ride.

With wet and soggy thuds, Kanu and Chouhi crashed to the muddle ground. Both were soggy and wet, making their outfits cling to them in provocative ways in which men from all over would have enjoyed. However, neither was looking at their best. Both girls were sporting round bruises as if they were hit with something round like a ball at high speeds. Their outfits were also filled with cuts, some of them in provocative places and some of them weren't. Both girls were panting and quite obviously in pain if the mumbles and groans Chou-un could hear were any indication.

"Dammit," Chouhi grumbled, struggling to her feet. "I didn't sign up for weird crap like this!"

"It doesn't matter!" Kanu snapped, using her naginata to help support herself. "Gentoku is still inside and we have to get to her!"

"I know that!"

"Kanu! Chouhi!" Chou-un called, running over to her two waterlogged friends. The two wet girls took notice off her and relaxed only slightly. "What's going on? Where is Ryuubi?"

"Still in the library!" Chouhi answered. "It's like she doesn't even know that all this weird stuff is happening. I don't know what is up with her, but I know those things inside are the ones doing it to her!"

"Things?" asked Chou-un.

The sound of jingling coins grew even louder in Chou-un's ears before the sounds of footsteps on water accompanied it. Chouhi and Kanu both tensed, preparing to fight again with Chou-un drawing her sword, sensing that a fight was approaching. Stepping out of the front doors and onto the muddy ground was a creature which was white on the front, but gray as steel on the other parts of its body. Shark-like fins extended from its back as well as its shoulders, giving a fish-like appearance. Around its neck and waist were steel rings, decorated with chains. Similar steel rings were around its calves and biceps. Its face though was shaped similarly to a shark's, complete with a large nose with large nostrils. Its eyes were narrowed and triangular while its mouth with in a perpetual frown, accented with sharp teeth. It walked on two feet like a man and had two arms like a man, but it obviously was not one.

It was not alone either.

As the first shark monster exited the school, similar monsters followed it, stopping at the door as the first monster exited to face the three Fighters. Chou-un grimaced, being reminded of the bee monster she had faced earlier in the day. Upon noticing that the silver-haired Fighter was in attendance, a second shark monster stepped out of the building, walking up to its brother to face down the three Fighters.

"Great," Chouhi scowled. "As if one wasn't hard enough!"

So focused were the three Fighters on the approaching pair, they didn't notice the banners of blue, green, yellow, and gray unfurling from the rooftop of their school.

Atop of Seito, far above the impending fight of the three Seito Fighters and two Yummies, the four Greeed lounged about, a pile of Cell Medals available for their devouring pleasure. Mezul sat daintily on the edge of the roof, the fencing around her seat torn away so she could see unobstructed. Gameru was kneeling at the pile of Cell Medals, grabbing handfuls of them. Cazali simply rolled a single Medal across the floor as he lay on his side while Uva paced restlessly, occasionally tossing back a Cell Medal through his mouth plate.

"Itadakimasu," Gameru announced for a third time, gulping down a handful of Cell Medals which made his uncovered sections glow with silver energy.

"I must admit, you really know how to make a splash Mezul," Cazali chuckled, looking up to his female comrade.

"Of course!" the fish Greeed giggled. "I knew right away when I saw that little girl that she'd be perfect for collecting a number of Cell Medals. Now we get to use this place filled with my cute Yummies while we watch three more little girls try to take it back. Free entertainment is such a wonderful thing."

"Hmph! We should be looking for Ankh!" Uva snorted.

"And we will," Mezul replied. "But Cell Medals are just as important as the Core Medals are. Ankh will still be there when we wrap things up here. In the meantime, let's just enjoy the show those three little girls down below can give us, ne?"

Uva gave a growl, but didn't reply. He was still stewing over being beaten by OOO and it was putting him in a right foul mood. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the fencing around the roof and looked down at the streets around Seito, nowhere near the fight. However, he did take notice of a trio of Shark Yummies slipping out of the school and heading down the streets. All three simply dived to the ground, splashing into it as if it were made of water, actually leaving wet trails as their dorsal fins cut through the surface. It was enough to grab Uva's attention at the least.

"Oi, Mezul. Where are those Yummies going?" asked the insect Greeed.

"Hm?" Mezul blinked, looking on her comrade's direction. "Oh, those ones are going to get the little book girl some more books so she can keep making more Yummies for us."

"Hmm," Uva pondered. If those three Yummies were going to actually leave the area, then the chances were that Ankh would be able to sense them if they were closer to him or simply because they caused enough of a ruckus OOO wouldn't be able to not notice them. Either way, this might be his chance to get some payback! Smashing open the fencing in his way, Uva leaped from the rooftop and began to follow the three Yummies by hopping from rooftop to rooftop.

"I wonder where he's going," Cazali muttered.

"Itadakimasu!" Gameru cried again, gulping down more Cell Medals.

"Gameru-chan! Save some for others!" Mezul scolded.

"Hai…Mezul…" Gameru obeyed.

"Good boy."

* * *

Meanwhile, Ankh and Hakufu were speeding towards the place where Ankh had sensed the Yummies with him in the lead. At first he thought they were dealing with one big Yummy like the Bee Yummy from earlier, but that changed when a small portion of the feeling broke off to go elsewhere. "Looks like there's more than one," he murmured. That could only mean that it was Mezul. She had the ability to mass-produce Yummies from a single host. He then sped up, the thought of Cell Medals in mind.

"Ankh-chan! Matte!" Hakufu shouted as she sped up after her partner.

Ankh sped his machine up, cutting around corners and streets as Hakufu struggled to keep up. Really, didn't Ankh have any respect for her cousin's body at all? He was driving so recklessly! Still, Hakufu gunned the accelerator so that she would be able to keep up with him. The pair raced through the streets, incredulously not bringing the attention of the police. Then again, the police weren't very responsive to acts of delinquents since all of them were afraid of getting involved in the war of the Fighters.

Racing around yet another corner, Ankh abruptly came to a halt. Hakufu almost crashed into him from the halt, but she managed to hit the brakes before her front tire bumped into his back one. "Hey! Ankh-chan!"

"Be quiet and pay attention!" the bird Greeed snapped, pointing ahead towards the rows of stores which populated the streets. Hakufu looked ahead and blinked when she was one of the stores had a front window smashed open and water splashed all over the otherwise dry street. At first Hakufu was wondering why she was looking at what looked like a robbery, but the question died in her throat when she witnessed three Shark Yummies step out of the broken window, their arms filled with books of all sizes.

"Oh! The Yummies!" the strawberry blonde cried, dismounting and tossing her helmet aside.

"Yes. Mezul's work," Ankh nodded, presenting the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals. "I trust you know what to do by this point?"

"Right!" Hakufu nodded, taking the Medals. Retrieving the OOO Driver, she strapped it to her waist. Quickly slipping the Medals into place, she locked the Driver into position before grabbing the O Scanner and swiping it across. "Henshin!"

"**TAKA! TORA! BATTA!**"

"**TA-TO-BA TATOBA TA-TO-BA!**"

She ran towards the Shark Yummies as OOO's armor started to envelop her, transforming her into OOO. Leaping into action quite literally, she aimed a kick that sent a Shark Yummy falling backwards into the other two, causing them to drop their ill-gotten gains. They recovered and climbed to their feet, glaring at OOO. One Shark Yummy communicated with the other two who started picking up the books on the ground before diving straight into the street like it was water and surging away, leaving one of their own to deal with OOO by itself. OOO would've gone after the other two but she was being kept busy as this Shark Yummy swiped at her with its claws. She blocked and then used a haymaker that sent the Shark Yummy flying. It growled and started to attack in a frenzy, rushing at her and then biting her in the arm. "OW!" OOO cried out in pain. Acting quickly, she used one of her Tora Claws to slash it across the face, making it release her from its jaws. She then used the other set of Tora Claws and started to slash away at the aquatic Yummy. Each strike drove the Shark Yummy further and further back, making Cell Medals drop to the ground.

Ankh watched, tapping his fingers impatiently on the bike. "Oi, finish this quickly! We have to catch those others and find out where they're from!"

"You try and fight!" OOO snapped as she used a series of kicks that caused the Shark Yummy to stagger back with each blow. She then drew the Medajilabur and slashed the Shark Yummy across the chest, sending it reeling. With each blow, more Cell Medals dropped from the Yummy.

"Time to finish this," declared OOO as she took three Cell Medals from the Medal Holder mounted on the left side of her belt and put them one by one into the Medajilabur. Then, she grabbed the O Scanner and held it over the Medajilabur's Medal chamber.

"**TRIPLE SCANNING CHARGE!"**

She swung the Medajilabur and sliced the Shark Yummy across its body. To her understandable shock, the Yummy's body seemed to slide on the angle of the cut she made. At the same time, everything else that was in range of the cut began to slide along the same angle. OOO feared for a moment that she'd single-handedly destroyed a portion of the neighbourhood, but the buildings, trees, lampposts, and everything which had been affected by the cut suddenly slid back into place, undamaged. The Shark Yummy on the other hand screamed out as its bisected body exploded, sending a rain of Cell medals to the ground.

"All right! That was easy!" OOO cheered, jumping on the spot.

"Mezul's Yummies aren't known for their durability," Ankh shrugged.

"That is why I came."

Ankh and OOO turned to see Uva walking out from one of the alleyways, his fists clenched as he stared down OOO from the distance between them. OOO could feel the anger practically rolling off the insect Greeed as he stared at her. Even someone as dim and naïve and her could tell that he had nothing but murderous intent aimed at her. Gulping softly, she prepared herself for what she knew was to be another hard fight.

"Well Uva, come to lose again?" Ankh snickered.

"I underestimated the little girl before," Uva growled, slowly beginning to advance. "I won't make the same mistake twice! Now give me my Core Medals!"

"Come and take them!" OOO taunted, raising her blade.

Uva's answer was to bellow loudly as he charged at OOO with his blades raised. He slashed wildly at the armoured girl, attempting to either kill her or remove the OOO Driver from her waist so he could get his Core Medal back. OOO fought back, trying to get the enraged Greeed to back off or at least damage him so she could get some Cell Medals or perhaps even a Core Medal out of the exchange. That was sure to get Uva to back off.

"Uva-chan, I don't have time to play with you! I have to get those other Yummies!" OOO cried.

"Play? PLAY? Do you honestly think I'm playing with you?" Uva snarled, taking another swipe at OOO's head. The Fighter ducked underneath the blow and rolled away, but as she got up she was kicked in the torso and sent sprawling thanks to Uva's reflexes. Even worse, the Medajilabur was sent skidding down the road as it was knocked from OOO's hands.

"Ouch," the armoured girl muttered, trying to get back to her feet quickly so she could defend herself.

OOO knew that she was in deep trouble with little chance of getting out. The only reason she drove Uva off last time was because she managed to hit him with a sucker punch to a soft spot and make a wound that spilled out precious Cell Medals. She doubted that she would be able to pull off another punch like that again. If she wanted to survive, she would have to play it smart and that meant using the skills that Kokin taught her.

Standing up, OOO took a deep breath and began moving into a martial arts stance. She had learned plenty about martial arts from her cousin since she started going to Nanyo. Of course, she still fought the way she liked out of habit unless it was really serious. Raising her left arm above her head and letting her right one rest by her waist, she began to control her breathing, trying to pool her chi, what little she managed to learn to control over her training. She really couldn't afford to linger with Uva so she would have to hit him hard enough to break his skin and spill out Cell Medals again. She just hoped that Uva wasn't a martial artist or else she was going to be in trouble.

"Don't just stand around! Fight him already!" Ankh shouted, worried about losing Core Medals unless OOO fought Uva.

"DIE OOO!" Uva bellowed, lunging at the armoured girl, rearing back his bladed arm to strike her head. At the very last moment she ducked under his bladed arm and countered an open palm strike straight into Uva's chest. The blow was so powerful that was sent sailing backwards, a look of shocked disbelief on his face as Cell Medals started to spill out of his chest like a fountain. Not only that, a single Core Medal was also unleashed which Ankh quickly took notice off. Shooting his Greeed arm at the Medals, he absorbed several Cell Medals as he made a grab for the green Core Medal before returning to Kokin's body.

Uva hit the ground in a heap, the wound on his chest quickly closing. However, the damage was done. He had lost dozens of Cell Medals and even worse, one of his Core Medals had gone with them! Groaning, his left arm began to give off black smoke. To his horror, the black armour of his left arm began to dissolve into Cell Medals which dropped to the ground in a heap, leaving Uva's arm as bare as his legs, revealing black flesh with aged brown bandages. "No!"

"Uva, if you don't want to lose anymore Core Medals, I suggest you withdraw," warned Ankh. "Or else OOO here is, as the humans in this time say, going to kick your ass six ways to Sunday."

Uva growled as he considered his options. This OOO definitely had a lot of skill and strength to be a match for him. If he prolonged this battle, he could risk more of his Core Medals. She had already gotten one of his Core Medals, making her a larger threat than before, especially to him! "I'll remember this, OOO! Ankh!" he threatened before he leapt away, bouncing off the side of a building before vanishing out of sight. It was all OOO could do not to drop to her knees with a sigh of relief.

"Now that we've had that taken care of, we better head to where those Yummies went," said Ankh to OOO.

"You don't have to tell me twice," said OOO as she ran to get the Medajilabur back before she could leave. However, as she managed to grab the blade, a black car turned onto the street. At first OOO thought it was just someone who was using the same road and this she went to move her Ride Vendor, but when the car parked in front of the pair, she began to think otherwise.

When the car came to a stop, the driver's side opened to reveal a woman in a white jacket and skirt who was keeping her face blank. Calmly stepping to the back door of her car, the woman opened to door before she retrieved what looked like a television screen of some kind and returned to place the screen on the trunk of her car, a stand on the back of the screen keeping it up. Ankh and OOO blinked in confusion at the item before the screen came to life, revealing a man in a suit who seemed to be making a cake.

"Ah," the man smiled, apparently able to see the two through a live connection. "Hakufu Sonsaku-kun of Nanyo Academy and Ankh-kun of the Greeed? Ah, I'm glad Satonaka-kun was able to find you both so quickly! Let us begin by celebrating this first meeting!" Placing his whisk down, he lifted up what looked to be a party cracker before setting it off, sending streamers flying out. "Happy Birthday!"

"Yay!" OOO cheered before she froze. "Hey, it isn't my birthday though!"

"Baka," Ankh snorted.

"Isn't the first time two parties meet like a birthday?" asked Kougami. That thought gave OOO pause as she turned it around in her head. If that was true then she had a lot of birthdays to remember. That and a lot of birthdays she didn't get invited to or get presents for! She just hoped her allowance would be able to cover it…

"Who are you?" demanded Ankh, growing impatient.

"Please allow me to introduce Mr. Kousei Kougami, founder and president of the Kougami Foundation," the woman introduced, gesturing to the man on the screen. "His company is also the one responsible for the equipment that has been made available to you."

"You mean the sword and the bike?" OOO asked. "You made all this?"

Kougami confirmed, "That is right. Amazing isn't it? After witnessing what you have accomplished, I think it's time we have a formal arrangement made. In exchange of you using our Medal System, we would like you to give us Cell Medals in return." OOO blinked at the terms of the deal, wondering why they wanted Cell Medals for themselves. They weren't Greeed after all. Ankh on the other hand quickly grew into a fury, his kaijin arm rising in preparation for a possible attack.

"Don't screw with me!" he bellowed. He was about to walk forward, but was stopped when several bullets impacted the concrete in front of his feet. Turning, OOO and Ankh spotted a man in a black motorcyclist outfit holding a gun with the barrel aimed straight at Ankh. The pair recognized him as the man who had given OOO the Medajilabur and taught her how to use the Ride Vendor. Of course, that was Goto, trusted employee of Kougami

"Don't lose your temper. As far as I'm concerned, you're still like those other Greeed," stated Goto.

"You!" OOO recognised. "I forgot to thank you for the bike and sword, so thanks." Goto didn't respond as he kept his eyes trained on Ankh.

"Consider your options, Ankh-kun. The Medal System is really a convenient tool for you to have. It's not free, though." Kougami explained, still making his cake as if a Greeed wasn't about to go postal on his assistant. "It's not like I'm asking for all of the Cell Medals you obtain. You need them too of course. All I am asking for is a portion of them. That way, everyone gets something they want."

"How many are we talking about here?" asked Ankh.

"How about…seventy percent?"

Ankh slammed a fist on the Ride Vendor's gas tank. "Hell no!"

"Ankh-chan, don't be rude!" OOO snapped. "Every time we destroy a Yummy lots of Medals come out anyway! That leaves a whole lot of them left for you even if Kougami-san takes a lot more of them. I don't think it's too much to ask for. We get all this cool stuff out of it too!"

"Thirty percent of the Cell medals we do get go to me? Do you realize how little that is?" demanded Ankh. "It would be months before I even complete my whole arm, never mind my entire body! I'm not going to accept a deal like that!" Snapping his head to the image of Kougami, he was tempted to tell the man to go to hell, but the equipment which he made available to OOO and their usefulness couldn't be denied. As greedy as Ankh was for Cell Medals, he wasn't blinded by it. "Fifty percent!"

"I'm afraid I must respectfully decline," Kougami answered. "Fifty percent just wouldn't be enough to justify the costs of using the equipment. Especially in situations like the one currently occurring down at Seito Private School."

"Seito?" OOO blinked, recognizing the name. "Wait, that's where Kanu goes! She's one of the strongest Fighters of all!"

"Indeed. Unchou-kun's legend and skills are indeed great," Kougami nodded. "However, Shiryuu-kun, Ekitoku-kun, and herself are currently fighting off those Yummies and despite valiant efforts, are not faring well."

"W-what?" OOO paled. While she and Kanu had only met during the Big Fighter's Tournament, and promptly got her butt kicked by the taller girl, she didn't really have any hard feelings about it. The fight had been one of the most exciting she had ever been in and she had been hoping to get a rematch one day. To hear she of all people was having trouble with the Yummy was a little frightening.

"Need proof? Allow me to show you," Kougami spoke before pressing a button on his desk. The image on the screen quickly changed to a camera view of the front of Seito. Visible outside of the front doors were three Fighters going against a pair of Shark Yummies…and slowly losing. OOO could recognize Kanu among the trio along with the silver-haired girl from the shopping centre while the third she had never met before. All three were fighting hard, but none of them were able to even wound the Yummies while they kept getting attacked by several high speed black balls which exploded like water balloons, soaking them. The screen quickly changed, returning to Kougami's office.

"As you can see, even OOO would have trouble with such odds, which is where my company's inventions come in," the corporate leader explained.

"Ankh-chan, we have to get going! Just give Kougami-san the seventy percent! All this stuff will be able to make up the difference for us in no time!" OOO pleaded.

"Nnnn!" the bird Greeed grimaced, glaring at the man on the screen. "Fifty-five!"

"I must insist on seventy!" Kougami replied, his face serious.

"Ankh-chan!"

"Kuso!" Ankh hissed. "Sixty percent! That's as high as I'll go!"

"Ah-ha! Done!" Kougami grinned. "Sixty percent of all Cell Medals go to my company! I look forward to a fruitful venture with you both. However, as an act of good faith, I must insist that the Cell Medals from the Yummy you just defeated go to my company. To seal the deal, so to speak."

"They're yours!" OOO cried, grabbing the Greeed's arm. "Come on Ankh-chan! I don't know the way to Seito and you know which way the Yummies are!"

"FINE!" Ankh released all the Cell Medals which they had gained earlier, the same ones that Uva had lost as Ankh claimed the Core Medal. Hearing the Medals jingle as they hit the ground was almost like punches in his possessed gut. It pained him to lose something so precious but at least he got something out of it. Not on his terms since he'd rather have the Cell Medals AND the equipment but as OOO insisted, they had to compromise. At least this way it would be marginally easier to get more Medals.

Both teens mounted the Ride Vendors and hit the ignitions before swerving past Satonaka's car and down the street, Ankh taking the lead so that OOO would know which way to go.

"A successful deal Kougami-san," Satonaka complimented her boss as she and Goto stepped out into the viewing of the screen.

"Indeed!" Kougami grinned, stirring his cake batter. "Goto-kun, Satonaka-kun, if you two would be so kind as to collect the Cell Medals at your position please? They will be of great use for future projects."

"Yes sir," both nodded before Kougami's image winked out on the screen.

* * *

Ankh and OOO meanwhile kept driving, swerving past parked cars and the odd moving one as they made their way towards the Yummy nest which was coincidentally the base of one of the three most powerful groups of Fighters in the Kanto area. It wasn't the fact that she was going to meet up with Kanu again or have to fight more Yummies that got her nervous. Not those facts by themselves anyway. It was the fact that those same Yummies were able to beat a Fighter like Kanu who was hailed as one of the top fighters in all of Kanto. She was a Fighter who by reputation hadn't lost a fight before, although that could possibly be a rumour.

Racing around yet another corner, the pair came to a stop next to the gates of Seito and came onto the scene of a brawl. Two Shark Yummies were fighting the three Seito girls and it was quite obvious that they were winning. All three girls were panting, covered in bruises, soaking wet, and had several rips in their outfits. They were also panting, short on breath and obviously beginning to get tired. However, that didn't compare to the mob of Shark Yummies that were just inside the school building itself, looking like they were enjoying the fight itself.

"That…is a lot of Yummies," OOO gulped.

"There are too many of them to be just for a small nest," Ankh frowned, keeping his helmet on in case the three Seito girls saw him. He didn't want his host to get recognized by them on the off chance they met up on the street he took Kokin's body. They may know him for all he knew. "Mezul must have made this nest shortly after we escaped that damn tomb. They've been incubating for the better part of the day. That building is probably filled to the brim with them."

"Oh boy," OOO shivered.

"Well? Don't just stand there!" the red Greed barked at the armoured girl. "Go get them already!" He tossed a coin into OOO's hand. "Use this!" OOO stared at the Kamakiri Medal and nodded before he took out the Tora Medal and replaced it, taking the O Scanner as she slanted the OOO Driver's buckle. She then scanned the device over his belt.

"**TAKA! KAMAKIRI! BATTA!**"

The tiger on her chest's emblem was soon replaced by a mantis as the Kamakiri Arms replaced the Tora Claws. The Kamakiri Swords were then gripped in her hands as she charged at the two Shark Yummies. The mantis on her chest glowed, energizing her blades as she leapt. She then came down, cutting the two Shark Yummies down the middle before they exploded into Cell Medals. The three Seito Fighters gaped at the appearance of the armoured Fighter.

"What the-?" Chouhi gaped.

"Who-?" Kanu blinked.

"Her again," Chou-un frowned, unsure what to make of the arrival of the one heard called OOO. Oh the mysterious figure would fight the monsters. That much she felt she could be sure about. The question was if she was willing to help save Ryuubi or was simply there to fight the shark monsters.

A roar from within the school alerted the trio of Seito girls that the presence of the armoured fighter had simply put the monsters within into a rage, possibly at the slaying of their two brethren. The doors were once again forced open as what seemed to be a small mob of the Shark Yummies came pouring out. They were all making snarling noises and didn't look one bit happy at the sight of OOO in their midst. The three Seito girls felt despair begin to fill their hearts as they recalled how simply two of the monsters were able to keep them busy, even managing to come close to beating them. Their chances against a mob were practically zero.

"Oh man," OOO gulped. This did not look good.

The Shark Yummies charged at OOO and the three Seito Divas in a rush, shooting black orbs from their mouths in the process. Those with weapons attempted to block the projectile attacks, but each one hit with the force of a bullet and splashed like a water balloon, soaking the faces of the people they hit and distracting them, unless their eyes were already closed like Chou-un. However, it was a suitable distraction which allowed the Shark Yummies to strike as one, pounding each of the collected girls with several mob strikes, sending each of them sailing out of the gates of Seito. Skidding would be a more accurate term since their soggy bodies allowed them to slide for a short distance.

"I'm surrounded by idiots," Ankh grumbled, looking over to OOO and the three Seito students. Raising his hand, he produced the new Core Medal which they had obtained from Uva. "Maybe it's time to test these out." His arm shot towards OOO and knocked her in the back of the head.

"Ow!" OOO grunted as she felt Ankh hit her. "Ankh-chan!"

"Here, use this!" said Ankh, holding up the new Medal, revealing it to be marked with a Kuwagata beetle.

"Isn't that the one we got from that bug guy?" OOO asked.

"Yes! Now hurry up!" he insisted.

Nodding, OOO stepped towards the gates of Seito once again, ignoring the gaping looks of Kanu and Chouhi as they stared at Ankh's true form floating in the air. Facing off against the mob of Shark Yummies, the armoured girl reset her belt once again, this time removing the red Taka Medal before replacing it with the green Kuwagata Medal. Setting the belt on an angle again, she didn't notice the three Medals beginning to shine in their spots. With the buckle in place, she raised her O Scanner.

"She can't honestly be trying to beat all of them," Chou-un grimaced, snapping the attention of her friends from Ankh to OOO once again. Chouhi tore her gaze away from the floating red arm before gazing at OOO standing in front of the Shark Yummy mob.

"Is she stupid or something?" the snack-addict gaped. "All of us together couldn't even stand on our feet for a whole minute! She doesn't stand a chance!"

"On the stupid part I agree," Ankh commented, floating closer so he could see the impending fight better. "However, right now I'd say her chances of winning are pretty darn good."

As Chouhi tried to argue, with an arm of all things, Kanu and Chou-un turned their attention to the impending battle. The silver-haired girl actually opened her eyes, revealing crystal blue irises and slim narrow pupils as they both took in the sight of OOO standing along against the mob.

Suddenly, as one, the mob began to charge again. This time they weren't shooting anything at her, favouring to attack her physically with their own hands and feet. OOO on the other hand didn't even move a step. Instead, she brought the O-scanner up before swiping it across her belt, making three chiming noises.

"**KUWAGATA! ****KAMAKIRI! ****BATTA!"**

"**GATA-GATA-GATAKIRIBA! GATAKIRIBA!"**

Like before, three Medals depicting the ones on OOO's belt appeared in a vertical line before colliding with her chest and changing her armour. This time, the top section of the emblem on her chest changed from a red bird to a dark green pair of kuwagata beetle horns. Her helmet likewise changed, the entire face being turned green with a mouth plate that had a single line running through it like a beetle shell. Her eyes had turned orange and a pair of green horns like a kuwagata beetle's emerged from the top of her helmet.

OOO had achieved the GataKiriBa Combo!

Inhaling deeply as her body trembled with power**;** OOO reared back and let loose a savage scream, "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The raw power, rage, and primal energy transmitted by that scream caused the Shark Yummies to actually pause in their charge, finally showing some kind of emotion other than a kind of smugness of leering over an inferior opponent. It even caused the three Fighters by the gate to flinch, having rarely heard a powerful voice such as that before. They had really only ever heard it once, but that was all they needed to hear to know a comparison.

As her scream died down, OOO glared at the mob of Shark Yummies before she charged at them with a ferocious battle cry. A few steps into her charge, her body flashed bright green before two perfect copies of her emerged and took up the running pace next to her. Soon their bodies flashed, each creating two more copies. Each clone would in turn create two more clones that would then create two further clones of their own. Where it at first appeared that one person was going to go and fight off a mob of monsters, it now appeared to be a war between monsters and humans about to go into full throttle with Seito as the prize.

"Wha…wha…what…WHAT THE HELL?" Chouhi gaped, quite loudly, mimicking the thoughts of her two more silent companions quite nicely.

OOO and her clone army started to fight the Shark Yummy mob with pure ferocity. Some fought unarmed while others fought wielding the Kamakiri Swords. Either way, the Shark Yummies were in for the fight of their lives. One by one, the Shark Yummies' numbers dwindled as they were punched, kicked, elbowed, kneed, head-butted, thrown down, and slashed. Each of the Shark Yummies perished, leaving behind Cell Medals. Still, the Kamen Rider army continued to take the Shark Yummy army apart with considerable effort, but they were still winning.

"Back off!"

"Ow! That hurt!"

"Take this!"

"Someone get this thing off my back!"

"I got it!"

"A little help please?"

"Boom! I got you!"

Kanu, Chou-un, and Chouhi could only gape in shock at what they were witnessing. Being Fighters, they were used to strange, fantastic, and dare one say magical things occurring around them. However, seeing someone in a suit of armour duplicate themselves into an army was something even they found difficult to swallow. Still, that was indeed what they were witnessing. It was certainly more brutal than most of the battles they themselves had fought in the past, but they couldn't tear their eyes away from it all. Kanu herself could only watch in total shock before a stray thought came screaming into her head.

"Gentoku!" she gasped. "Gentoku is still inside!"

One of the nearby OOO suddenly perked at the mention of someone being inside of the school. Punching her opposing Shark Yummy in the face, she turned to look at Kanu, "Wait, you mean someone's still inside the school?"

"Our leader Ryuubi Gentoku," Chouhi nodded. "She's stuck in the library and we think these things are using her to increase their numbers. There's some kind of huge egg sack hanging above her that these things hatch out of. There's no end to them!"

"Well there will be!" OOO growled. "Where is the library?"

"It's on the third floor near the front here," Kanu answered, realizing what OOO was asking. She would have preferred to save Ryuubi herself, but her limb were beginning to lock up from the stiffness and pain, not to mention all the cold water used against her by the Yummies. "Just follow the first stairs you find and turn left!"

"Got it!" OOO nodded before suddenly splitting into two. One clone continued the fight with the Yummy while the other went for the main building.

The newest OOO cut through the crowds of herself and the Yummies fighting one another, actually knocking down a few Yummies so to make her way. Reaching the front doors of the school, she kicked them off of their hinges in a huff before charging in. She managed to quickly find a set of stairs and was instantly running up them before any of the Shark Yummy could think of following her inside. Taking the steps two at a time, she came up to the third floor, bursting into the hall and charging to her left. The door to the library was thankfully clearly marked since OOO didn't have the patience to go searching for the moment.

Entering the library, OOO found a brunette girl with glasses hunched over a table with a book, seemingly unaware of the all out war which was going on just outside the window. Above her though was a giant sack of what looked like fish eggs held together with organic silk which kept it suspended from the ceiling.

"Ew," OOO grimaced. Inside some of the larger eggs she could see half-formed Shark Yummies made of Cell Medals stirring about. Gripping her fists, OOO summoned her Kamakiri Swords and made a charge for the girl and the egg sack above her. Taking a leap, she pushed her power into the swords, making them glow before she swiped at the nest of eggs, cutting through them like a hot knife through butter. "HIYAH!" The nest promptly exploded, showing the floor with dozens of Cell Medals. Landing on the ground, OOO gave herself a pat on the back for ending the source of the Shark Yummies. Now all that was left to do was…

"Huh? What happened? Where did all these coins come from?"

Turning, OOO saw that the brunette had dropped her book and was looking around in total confusion as to what was going on. The girl then turned at noticed OOO, standing behind her and promptly gasped, "Ah! Wh-who are you?"

"I'm OOO and I have to get you out of here," answered the armoured Fighter. Several Shark Yummies had chased after OOO and entered the library. Ryuubi screamed at the sight of them while OOO kept herself standing in between the girl and monsters. The Shark Yummies fired their water bombs and OOO acted quickly, slicing the bombs out of the air, letting water splash to the ground harmlessly. "Okay, so the door's out." Allowing the swords to merge with her armguards again, she glanced at Ryuubi and then the window behind her. "Out the window it is then!"

Dashing at Ryuubi, OOO scooped the girl into her arms in a bridal fashion, making the bespectacled girl blush brightly. Charging at the pane of glass, OOO leaped and smashed it with her foot in a flying leap before passing into the open air, letting gravity take hold. Ryuubi didn't even get time to scream before OOO and herself were falling through the air. Despite the distance, OOO took it the fall into stride and landed lightly on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Ryuubi coughed slightly, the dust getting into her mouth, but as she was able to see with the dust clearing, she squeaked in fright at the sight of people in green and black suits fighting shark monsters.

"EEK!" the timid girl cried out, clenching her eyes shut while clamping onto OOO even harder.

"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you," OOO promised, making Ryuubi look up into the orange eyes of her helmet. The bespectacled girl blushed even more vibrantly than before, but the armoured girl didn't take notice. Instead, she began charging through the mob of combatants, her clones giving her cover while beating away the Shark Yummies who were still fighting despite losing their advantage. With so many giving her cover, OOO was able to break free from the mob and reach the Seito gates once again.

"Gentoku!" Kanu cried, struggling to her feet as she saw her leader and secret crush approaching in the arms of OOO.

"Kan-san!" Ryuubi smiled, still blushing, but very relieved. As OOO approached the group, she set the bookworm down. Ryuubi immediately moved into action and glomped onto the naginata-wielder. "I was so scared! There were all these monsters, and fighting, and then OOO-sama coming and rescuing me! I'm so glad to see you!" The bookworm continued to gush in non-linear rabbles as Kanu's face lit up like a Christmas tree, not that anyone else was noticing.

"Okay, since the girl's okay, I'm going to finish this!" OOO nodded before she charged back onto the battlefield.

Despite her chirpy/aggressive mood, OOO could feel the energy draining her. She had to finish this quick. Only a handful of Shark Yummies, but they had all converged into a single position and were shooting a veritable tsunami of their water bullets, attempting to destroy as many of the OOO army at once. Seeing the balls coming, all of the OOO grabbed their O Scanners and swiped them across their buckles, making a chiming noise.

"**SCANNING CHARGE!**"

The army of armoured Fighters then leapt high into the air and then came down upon the Shark Yummies to execute a series of flying kicks. The Shark Yummies were hit, one by one before exploding into a mass of fire and Cell Medals raining in all directions. Everything was silenced by the explosion, allowing the audience a measure of peace. As the flames died down, the image of OOO could be seen once again. This time, she was by herself, her army of clones being dismissed.

"Man…turning back…into one…is tough," she panted, attempting to stand, but finding that her legs were quite wobbly.

"OOO-sama!" a concerned voice cried. Looking up, OOO witnessed Ryuubi dashing towards her with her three bodyguards in tow. The Seito leader approached her first, offering steadying arms on her shoulders before Kanu and Chouhi both lent shoulders of their own. "OOO-sama, are you okay?"

"I'm…okay," OOO nodded. "Just a…little tired. I'm fine…really."

"Well you don't sound okay," Chouhi frowned slightly.

"Don't worry…" OOO argued weakly. "Just need to…collect the…Cell Medals."

Watching from the gate and reattached to Kokin, Ankh just sighed as he witnessed the sight of Fighters from different schools working together as they picked up all the Cell Medals littering the ground. A load of that many would go a long way to putting his body back together but sadly, that Kougami-teme had first dibs on sixty percent of the medals. Still, the forty percent left for him wasn't anything to sneeze at.

Wheeling his Ride Vendor to the schoolyard proper, Ankh hit the return switch on his machine, causing the motorcycle to flip onto its back wheel before unfolding back into a regular vending machine again. Scooping up a Cell Medal from the ground, mentally pegging it as one of Kougami's rather than his own, he inserted the coin into the machine. If he recalled right, the guy who gave them the sword hit a number of buttons which caused a number of those annoying canned robots to come out. Recalling the noises from the buttons, Ankh slapped the buttons connecting to the red cans. His guessing was quickly rewarded as a musical tone sounded off and dozens of red cans spilled out of the machine, making a small pile at his feet.

"**TAKACAN!**"

"Yeah, yeah," Ankh grumbled. Picking up a can, he pulled the tab before placing it in his hand. The little hawk robot unfolded and gave off a musical cry before looking up at Ankh for orders. Orders that Ankh himself didn't want to give, but he gave them anyway, "Listen up. All of the Cell Medals on this property are to be divided up. Sixty percent go to Kougami and the rest go to me. Got it?"

The red robot gave off a shrill cry before taking to the sky. The remaining cans all unfolded in response and flew after their brother. The birds were mobile in their air for only a moment before diving down on the scene. In a replay of the aftermath of the battle with the Bear Yummy, the birds began collecting as many Cell Medals as their little beaks could hold. Ankh merely watched as he tapped his foot impatiently, wanting his Cell Medals. Even as OOO and the Seito girls watched, the birds continued working, one even plucking a Cell Medal out from beneath Kanu's foot. With the last of the coins picked up, the birds began to fly again. Most of them began flying into the distance, but the rest flew towards Ankh who held his true arm out. Like clockwork, those birds began dropping Cell Medals into his waiting palm, making the entire limb pulse with red power. After each bird dropped off its cargo, it flew away to join its brethren in the distant sky. As the last of Ankh's share was dropped, the bird Greed remained holding only one Cell Medal.

"Oi! We're leaving!" he shouted out at OOO. "If you don't want to get left behind then come on!" Dropping the Medal into the Ride Vendor, he shifted it back to motorcycle mode and mounted it.

"Right, right," OOO grumbled, stumbling slightly as she went to retrieve her own motorcycle so she could get home.

"OOO-sama!" called Ryuubi. OOO turned to look at the girl who blushed. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Yeah, maybe," shrugged OOO. She got on her Ride Vendor and rode off, following Ankh.

"OOO-sama~" swooned Ryuubi.

"Who was that masked warrior?" asked Kanu.

"A masked rider…Maybe?" supplied Chouhi.

* * *

Once they returned home, Hakufu undid the transformation and collapsed on top of her motorcycle, leaving Ankh to drag her body back into the house. It really annoyed him that this girl would trouble him like this but he was impressed by how she handled the Combo. It was nothing to scoff at. The complete Combos were harsh on a body and could actually seriously wound someone if they weren't prepared for it. The original OOO managed to do that with ease several times over during his fights with the Greeed.

Despite the frustrations of the night, Ankh resigned himself to the fact that he at least got a decent haul and it put him that much closer to getting his body back. With that fact to keep him somewhat optimistic, he slung Hakufu over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and headed for the front door, "We're back."

"Welcome back," Goei's voice called from the living room. "You got a package while you were gone!"

Raising an eyebrow, Ankh stepped into the house and found where Goei was sitting. On the table was a parcel that was unwrapped to reveal a cake with strawberries decorating it with the fruits spelling out 60% on the white icing.

"A nice young man in a black motorcyclist suit dropped it off right after you left," Goei smiled, not even showing a moment of concern at seeing her daughter slung over Ankh's shoulder, out cold. Then again, she didn't have a scratch on her nor was there a scent of blood to indicate wounds while Hakufu's snores mixed with mumbles about food indicated her condition "It's very good! Good thing Hakufu's not awake or you wouldn't get any!"

"Yeah, yeah," Ankh grumbled. Setting Hakufu on the floor, her head conveniently resting on one of the pillows situation around the table, Ankh took his own seat and glared at the cake which currently had a slice taken out of it. It may have been sweet to Goei, but all it reminded Ankh of was the stupid deal he had been forced to make with the baking bastard.

"He also left another present," Goei continued, ignoring Ankh's sour mood. She revealed a black box with red ribbon on it she kept hidden beneath the table before presenting it for Ankh's eyes. Slipping the lid off, the box revealed a set of Candroids in three rows of four. The first two rows were the ones he was experienced with, the red and blue kind. However, the third row was green with grasshopper markings on the side. "He said something about this being a gift to commemorate the birth of a partnership." Looking at Ankh, she raised an eyebrow. "So what is this all about anyway?"

"Tsk!" Ankh growled. Wasn't there any escape from this frustration?

* * *

Inside an underground parking garage, the familiar colours of gray, blue, yellow, and green were draped over the few parked cars that were there as the four Greeed convened once again. As always, they were lounging and doing whatever they wanted. In this case, Gameru was drawing on a stone pillar with chalk he had stolen from somewhere while Mezul was lying on the hood of a particularly sporty vehicle, kicking her legs in boredom, seemingly admiring her outfit. Cazali seemed like he was ready to take a nap in the back of a convertible with its roof down while Uva was leaning against a pillar, rubbing his now bare arm.

"Looks like OOO got you good Uva," Cazali chuckled. "Didn't you learn anything from the first time you fought her?"

"Urusei!" Uva snarled. "You would have underestimated her too if you met her! She's just a teenage twit! How does someone as stupid as her get off and pulling moves like that?" The last part was spoken more to himself than to his comrades, but they all heard it anyway.

"It seems like OOO-shoujou is able to keep us guessing," Mezul commented idly. "She managed to steal a Core Medal from Uva and then use it to destroy all of my cute little Yummies. I must say she's an interesting little girl."

"On that, I can agree," Cazali nodded, pointing up at the ceiling. "You know, maybe after my Yummy gives us more Cell Medals, we can see how it would fare against her? That would be pretty darn interesting to me."

"Maybe, maybe," Mezul shrugged. "As for right now, I just want to relax. Getting so many Cell medals makes me sleepy."

* * *

**Dockyards**

Since Kyosho Academy was located near the sea, the school managed to pull the nearby dockyards and warehouses into their territory. The adults knew better than to try and mess with the Fighters and the teenage warriors at least had the decency not to destroy anything in the warehouses they were using to hang out or practice their fighting skills in. So as long as the Fighters didn't destroy anything or at least fixed what they broke, the dock workers would more or less ignore them. Usually they were safe havens for some of the Fighters who didn't feel like going home or simply wanted to hang out with friends and it was too late for any fun places to be open.

Tonight though, the peace would be shattered.

BAM!

CRASH!

WHAM!

BOOM!

"Outta my way!"

"Woah!"

"Look out!"

"Ton-chan's gone ape-shit!"

The front to one of the warehouses was wide open and several Fighters were running for it. Some of them were carrying wounded comrades while others were simply making a break for it, leaving everyone else behind. Inside of the warehouse though was a different story. The bodies of Fighters were littering the ground, battered and bruised, the lucky ones being unconscious while the rest were in too much pain to run or had a broken leg preventing them from leaving. Crates were busted open and in some cases their contents were shattered and spilled onto the ground.

In the centre of it all was Kakoton, bandages wrapped around him like before, even though his clothes were ripped in places and his hat was missing. His eyes were still shining with yellow light and despite the trembling limbs and blood dribbling from his mouth**;** it was like he was still ready for yet another fight. Despite the protests from his body, despite the protests from his trapped consciousness, he was compelled to fight just the same and take on all challengers. Raising his arms into the air, he bellowed out his battle cry to welcome all challengers.

"**BASICS!**"

* * *

To Be Continued…

Ten-Faced Paladin: Okay, here's chapter 3. Hope you all like the arrival of GataKiriBa! Also, for those who mentioned the unusual amount of Cell Medals that Gameru's Yummy made in Chapter 1, I say this. In episode 8 of Kamen Rider OOO, Ankh himself says that Gameru's Yummy burn through their own Cell Medals when they use their power. Taking that thought and considering just how often the Bison Yummy used its powers combined with how much it picked up and threw around, I concluded that it burned through all but one of its Cell Medals by the time OOO destroyed it. The Bear Yummy Hakufu fought in the fic on the other hand hadn't used its abilities nearly as much and as such had more Cell Medals inside of it.

Kamen Rider Chrome: I hope the wait wasn't too long for you. Paladin and I now present to you chapter three of this story. The appearance of GataKiriBa is just something we decided to throw in for the sake of the awesomeness factor. Next chap is gonna involve Cazali's parasitic Yummy so watch out for it.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: We do not own Kamen Rider OOO or Ikki Tousen. Those belong to their respective creators and not us. Sorry gold diggers.

**OOO MEDALS OF IKKI TOUSEN**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome**

**Edited by Shadow Element 13**

**Original idea: Talismo4ever**

**Chapter 4: Of Basics, Spankings, and Felines**

"Eh, what's this?" asked Hakufu as she looked at the green soda cans on the table. It was a new day in the Shu household and it time for breakfast. Hakufu and Ankh sat at the table with the former's mother. The strawberry blonde was still a little sore after having to fight all of the Shark Yummies the night before along with using the GataKiriBa Combo, but breakfast was a sure-fire way of getting her out of bed. Goei merely threatened to have Hakufu go without food and the ditzy girl came running.

"They were delivered while we were out last night," answered Ankh. He pulled the tab at the top of one of the new green soda cans and it bounced off his hand, transforming into a robot grasshopper.

"Batta!" the little bug-bot squeaked.

"Kawaii~" cooed Hakufu as she gazed at the Batta Candroid as it hopped around the breakfast dishes.

"Imagine my surprise when I did the same thing," said Goei. "It seems that these little grasshopper robots can function as walkie-talkies."

Ankh and Goei had tested the Batta Candroids the previous night as Hakufu was sleeping off the effects of the GataKiriBa Combo. Ankh had to admit these Candroids were useful, even if he was still a little sour about having to give up sixty percent of all Cell Medals he retrieved. Goei merely felt they were amusing to no end and she could even use them to keep an eye on her daughter when she was off on one adventure or another.

"So far we've fought Gameru, Mezul's and Uva's Yummies," counted Ankh. "Since the other three have apparently made Yummies as soon as we awoke, Cazali probably did the same too. We'll have to keep an eye out for it."

"Okay. So, what are Cazali's Yummies like?" Hakufu asked.

"They're like parasites," Ankh informed her. "They remain in the host and feed off their host's desires until they mature completely."

"What happens to the host then?" Goei asked.

"Oh, they are likely to expire as the Yummy consumes them completely," answered Ankh, shrugging.

"You mean... expire as in die?" Goei gasped.

"Hey, you reap what you sow," Ankh answered, not caring for the mature woman's distress. "Greed is, after all, one of the seven deadly sins and Cazali's Yummies just take it to a literal sense. Besides, it's the humans' own fault for having desires for anything in the first place. If they die from being used as a Yummy's host, then that's their fault too."

"How could you say that?" Hakufu hissed as she got into his face, "Nobody deserves to die! Not like that!"

"It happens all the time, doesn't it?" Ankh retorted. "Humans are always doing things to benefit themselves! Look at what happened to that Totaku person! He kicked the bucket because he wanted to avoid his 'fate'. Not to mention that you 'Fighters' are replaying some old war for who knows why! Many of them get killed as well and for what? Glory, that's what. All that talk about fate is just an excuse you all use to not even try to stop it. The world revolves around greed and desire, and for that people die. So that's why you don't see me complaining."

"..." Hakufu's frown deepened. She couldn't believe that Ankh was seeing life and death as something so... so... what's that word again? Oh right! Trivial! What made it worse was that this was all coming from her cousin's mouth. She had to find a way to get Kokin and Ankh separated again without killing her cousin.

"Well, that's it for today's breakfast," Goei said, smoothing out the subject. "It's time for school."

"Oh joy..." Ankh grimaced. Oh how he just hated that torture district Hakufu called her turf.

"Right! See ya Mom!" Hakufu nodded, getting up while cramming the last of her breakfast into her mouth. Emptying her plate, she dropped it onto the table before grabbing Ankh's hand, "Come on Ankh-chan!"

"Oi! Let go! I can walk myself, you know!" the irate Greeed snapped as he was dragged from the room. Goei merely watched them go before she got up to do the dishes.

* * *

**Greater Kanto**

Kakoton panted as he leaned against a back alley wall. His clothes were torn up, almost ready to fall at the seams in all honesty, and he was sporting numerous cuts and bruises. However, the muscles were bulging with the veins visible, obviously incredibly strained and working their hardest to repair themselves despite Kakoton's limits. Bandages were still on his arms and legs likewise with the glow of his eyes. Still, for the moment it seemed as if Kakoton had at least a bit of control to himself.

"Someone…help…me…" he panted, sounding exhausted and terrified at the same time. He wanted to stop and simply pass out so badly…but somehow he just couldn't stop himself! He had to keep fighting! He had to keep training! He had to keep getting stronger, it didn't matter how!

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a snide voice woke up. Kakoton's eyes flashed at the sound and he turned to see several thugs, all sporting magatama approaching him, looking incredibly smug. "If it isn't the famous Kakoton. What are you doing hanging out in Youshu's territory? Looking for a fight?"

"Rrrrrr," Kakoton growled, his aching muscles already tensing for a fight.

"Seems like he is, boss," another thug chuckled.

Kakoton's breathing became heavier as he stood up straight. No doubt the thugs figured that he was in no shape to fight and considering his conditions on most days they'd be right. However, with, whatever it was, inside of him that was not going to be the case this day. Growling like a caged animal, he lunged, his fist rearing back, not holding back an ounce of his strength.

"**BASICS!**"

* * *

**Seito Shrine**

Ryuubi was humming softly to herself as she poured into yet another book. Despite the episode with the shark monsters attacking their school, the bespectacled girl was still reading books. However, she was doing it in moderation and trying to catch up with the schoolwork that she'd missed. She really didn't have to try so hard since the flood damage from her bodyguards fighting the sharks inside the school caused classes to be cancelled for a day at the least while contractors went through to inspect the damage

So, Ryuubi was relaxing at home with Koumei cuddled against her, happy to find that Ryuubi was safe and sound once again. Nearby, Kanu, Chou-un, and Chouhi were enjoying some tea Kouchou had kindly made for them as they were still recovering from the bumps, bruises, and cuts that the monsters had inflicted on them. Of course, Chou-un was simply enjoying the peace as she leaned against the wall while the girls sat on the floor and enjoyed the sights and relaxation of the shrine. Chouhi had another bag of cookies to go with the tea while Kanu simply enjoyed the taste of the refreshments.

"So was OOO really that cool?" the voice of Koumei asked curiously.

Kanu's eye twitched slightly, not that anyone noticed.

"Oh yes!" Ryuubi beamed at her younger friend. "He was so heroic and powerful with the way he rescued me from those shark monsters. Seeing how he was able to duplicate himself to fight them all was just amazing too! I haven't seen anything like it before! –sigh- Oh OOO-sama."

Chouhi stopped mid-bite into her cookie as she heard her leader regale their young strategist about the battle with the shark monsters, "Uh…has anyone told her that OOO is a woman yet? I mean, with that voice she has to be."

"Let Gentoku dream," Chou-un shrugged. "It might make her interact more with the outside world rather than bury herself in books. The only downside is that she might become a bit of a fangirl, but I think we can all deal with that."

Kanu's eye twitched again, but she made no comment. Instead, she slipped a hand inside her blouse pocket and produced a silver coin which had the image of a pterodactyl on the front with an X on the back. It was just one of many of the coins which had been littering the library in the aftermath of the monster attack. Apparently OOO and her companion didn't think to check for them or forgot they were there after all of their robotic birds had scooped up the ones outside. None of the girls knew what was so important about the silver coins, but they did know that they made up the monsters which had attacked them and probably had some sort of purpose.

The question was what exactly that purpose was?

* * *

**Nanyo**

Ankh groaned as he was forced to sit in class and listen to the teacher before him yack away. He didn't care about this stuff. What was the point of school to him? He was a Greeed. He had no use for this 800 years ago and he definitely had no use for this now. He had better things to do, like collecting Cell Medals and regaining his full physical form. He was starting to regret using Kokin as his temporary vessel to walk among the humans. It came with a lot of responsibilities that he'd rather not have. Why couldn't he have used a body that was one of those policemen people? They had access to just about everything, didn't they? No one would question him if he went to find a Yummy if he was using a body like that.

He glanced over to Hakufu, who looked barely able to keep herself awake. He wondered why she even bothered coming if she was going to fall asleep anyway. Plus, she was probably still exhausted from the use of the Combo the previous night.

It wasn't like he was worried about her anyway. She was just his tool, his pawn. He only made her OOO so she could help him gather Cell Medals and keep the other Greeed from coming after him. Their focus would be on her because she used OOO's armour. 800 years ago, the original OOO had defeated and sealed them away and that anger and vengeance was now focused on Hakufu.

It just made perfect sense to use a human. They were easy to manipulate. Just dangle their greatest desires before them and they could fall to their knees.

_RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!_

Although he'd settle for smashing that damn bell!

* * *

Ryomou once again found herself patrolling the halls of Nanyo, this time with Saji at her side. Usually he'd be trying to flirt with her or get into her panties like he always did but he wasn't interested in that at the moment. He was sporting bandages underneath his shirt to help with the bruising and swelling that he had been dealt with when he had gotten injured during the day with the bee monster going on the rampage.

"Wait, let me get this straight," the bluenette frowned. "You were attacked behind the equipment shed by a bug monster that kicked your ass in less time than it takes for one of your conquests?" On a normal day she might have doubted her blonde friend's words considering how farfetched it sounded, but after seeing a mummy turn into a bee monster and fly off with her leader, she was inclined to agree with him. The way he spoke of being so easily over powered was disturbing though.

"Honest to Kami truth," Saji nodded, rubbing the back of his bandaged neck. "After it beat me up, it took out this silver coin and somehow dropped it into my head. Next thing I know this weird mummy crawls out of my body. That and I felt like 1/10 of my soul was being ripped out. The bug guys mentioned something about Core Medals and then they were both gone. I would have gotten up to warn everyone, but my back wasn't exactly cooperative at the time."

"Hmmm," Ryomou frowned. This did not sound good to her. The monster was technically artificial then and something out there had the ability to make more of them if it were so inclined. For all she knew there was an army of bug monsters just waiting for a signal to go wild.

* * *

**Elsewhere...**

The back alley brawl in which Kakoton was an unwilling participant of was still going on strong. In the middle of the alley, a pile of Youshu Fighters were in…a pile. They were in a sizable dogpile on top of someone and it appeared that they were using all of their strength to attempt to bring down the one they were all targeting. It was really no surprise since Youshu was struggling for strength since before the last Big Fighters Tournament when they were single-handedly destroyed by Hakufu Sonsaku. Since Totaku was dead and Rakuyo conquered, they were hoping on capitalizing on the confusion and becoming a superpower like Seito, Kyosho, and Nanyo. Seeing a target like Kakoton Genjou all by himself was just too tempting.

Unfortunately, it was an impossible target for thugs like them to take.

"**RAAAAHHHH!**"

Kakoton's roar echoed through the alley before all of the thugs went flying from his massive strength. All of them landed heavily and with groans, but despite a few bumps, they were none the worse for wear. With groans and growls, they began getting up again, ready to try again. As they allowed their confidence in their numbers to begin getting the better of them, they didn't take notice of the yellow light in Kakoton's eyes growing stronger.

"**BASICS!**"

* * *

**Nanyo**

_*Jingle, Jingle*_

Ankh suddenly heard the sound of jingling coins. Cell Medals no doubt. That meant that there was a Yummy within the area. Personally he thought that the timing of the Yummy showing itself could not be better since Hakufu was once again dragging him to the cafeteria in hopes of getting her so-called Legendary Lunch once again.

"Oi, Hakufu!" he shouted. "A Yummy's appeared! Let go already!"

"What? Really?" Hakufu asked. Taking the opportunity, Aknh ripped himself from her grip and began making a dash for the exit. "Oi, wait for me!"

Dashing outside of Nanyo, Ankh spotted two of the vending machines which would serve his purpose. Reluctantly drawing out two of his Cell Medals, he popped them into both machines at once before pressing the black button. Both vending machines transformed into their Ride Vendor forms, complete with helmets. Grabbing one, he tossed it over to the approaching Hakufu. "Stick close!" he ordered. Tugging his helmet on, he mounted his motorcycle and revved the engine to ensure it was turned on.

"Got it!" Hakufu nodded as she jumped on hers.

Back at the hallway, Ryomou and Saji heard the roars of motorcycles. Looking out the window, they spotted two Nanyo students, a boy and a girl, riding of to the streets on identical black Honda VT 750 C2B Shadow Black Spirit bikes. The girl had a hint of strawberry blond hair sticking out from her helmet. Obviously the girl was Hakufu, meaning the boy with her was most likely Kokin. But something about this seemed off.

"Since when did those two own motorbikes?" Saji wondered.

"More importantly, where are they going?" Ryomou added. Tightening her gloves, she walked to the window. "Stay here Saji, I'm going to see what's up."

"Watch yourself, Mou-chan," Saji advised.

Ryomou nodded back. She turned back to the window and jumped out.

* * *

"Hey, Ankh-chan! How close is the Yummy?" Hakufu asked as the bikes raced through the city.

"We're getting closer," Ankh replied back, "I can feel that it's already gained a lot of Medals. I'd feel pretty good about this if it weren't for that cake baking teme." He growled as he remembered the deal he had to make in order to make use of the bike, sword and Candroids.

"You have to admit, it was worth it," Hakufu reasoned.

"Whatever," Ankh grunted. "Let's just make some Medals."

The Sho Hao just sighed as she sped up the machine to keep up. As she did, she began think back to all the Yummies she'd faced just yesterday. The first one that got her into all of this in the first place was the Bear Yummy. She wondered just what kind of desire it fed on since she didn't see it in its first form. Next was the Bee Yummy. Seeing that it fed on girls' bras and panties to gain power, she could guess that it was spawned from a pervert. Last was that army of Shark Yummies that attacked the Seito grounds. They seemed to be using that glasses-wearing girl, who seemed to be the leader of the school, to increases their numbers. Since the girl had her face covered by books until she destroyed the nest, it looked like they were feeding on her desire of reading. Still, seeing someone like Kanu having trouble against only two of those monsters, and after Ankh said that those Yummies were among the least durable, she could see just how strong they were.

Oh boy! All of this thinking was making her head spin!

Cutting to a corner, they saw something that put their bikes to a stop. On the ground were a bunch of Fighters, all of them beaten to the bone. They had cuts and bruises all over their bodies. The ones that were still conscious were trying to get back on their feet, despite the massive pain they felt. It was probably a testament to their endurance, but as it was it just made them seem pathetic rather than strong.

"More Fighters!" Hakufu gasped as she slid her helmet's visor open and jumped off her Ride Vendor to see what happened.

"Che!" Ankh snorted. Really! Can't anyone of these brats stay out of trouble?

Running to one of the drowned Fighters, Hakufu kneeled down and helped him sit up right, "Hey you! What happened here?"

The thug coughed hoarsely, "It… it was Kakoton Genjou…" he answered, "He suddenly… went ape-shit on us…"

"Ton-chan did all this?" she gasped.

"He was like a wild animal… nothing like his usual styles," the thug continued, "He went nuts on all of us…"

"Sound like one of Cazali's Yummies at work," Ankh spoke, walking up to them.

"What?" Hakufu's head whirled around to face him, "Then Ton-chan is-!"

**"BASICS! BASICS! BASICS!"**

Hearing the sudden cry, Hakufu dragged the thug to a wall for him to rest better. Once he was secured, the pair ran into the alley from where the sound came. As they reached the back ally, they were greeted by a brutal sight.

More Fighters were lying around the alley, looking no better than the ones outside. Most of them sported broken arms and legs. A lot of them were bleeding, leaving red splatters here or there on the ground or sides of the building, but thankfully it stemmed from missing teeth or bitten tongues rather than something worse. In the deeper section of the alley was Kakoton, holding a thug over his head by the scruff of his neck.

"Ton-chan!" Hakufu gasped as she removed her helmet.

"You know this guy?" Ankh asked.

"He's my mom's boyfriend!"

"Eh?" Ankh blinked, "Ain't she too old for him?"

"She is," Hakufu growled, "But she has a fetish for younger men. That old fart…"

* * *

"ACHOO!"

Goei sniffed from her sudden sneeze as she at her lunch. "Oh my. Someone must be talking about me." Her eyes began to glisten as perverted thoughts entered her head, "I bet it's that hot manager from the coffee shop! Maybe I should surprise him!"

* * *

Ankh shook his head with a slight grumble and looked at the bandaged Fighter. "There's no mistaking it. This has Cazali's name written all over it."

"Damn it!" she swore as she ran a few steps forward. "Ton-chan! It's me, Hakufu! Snap out of it!"

Hearing her voice, Kakoton dropped the Fighter and slowly turned to face her. The strawberry blond gulped as she saw the yellow glow in his eyes. This wasn't the cool, collected and slightly goofy Kakoton she knew. This was someone else entirely. "Ha… Hakufu… must… leave…" he coughed as he shuffled slowly.

"What?" Hakufu muttered.

"Must… go… before I…" he didn't even get to finish as the monster inside him compelled him to fight again. He let loose an ear piercing roar, forcing Hakufu and Ankh to shut their ears. Kakoton jumped high into the air before he came down to stomp them to the ground.

"Oi! Move it!" Ankh snapped.

Both of them jumped out of the way just as Kakoton landed, letting dust and concrete to erupt from the impact. Once Hakufu landed, she watched as the dust settled, seeing Kakoton walk out from the crater he made. She couldn't help but gulp slightly, seeing that Kakoton hadn't gotten any weaker since the last time she saw him, still being capable of crushing concrete with just his punches and kicks.

"Hakufu… go…" Kakoton wheezed, unable to stop himself from stalking her, "Can't control…"

"Ton-chan! I know what's going on! Let me help!"

Kakoton didn't make a reply as he unwillingly rushed forward and let loose a swarm of punches and kicks. Hakufu was forced to evade and block all that came at her. She ducked from a right hook. He came at her again with another punch, but she caught it in her fist. The impact caused a shockwave and if it had been caught on a lesser Fighter, some broken bones would have resulted if not a pulped hand. Luckily, as stupid as she could be, Hakufu was anything but an average Fighter.

"Snap out of it Ton-chan!" Hakufu yelled.

Kakoton grabbed her arm and let out a shout as he swung her about. She screamed as she was thrown into a wall, creating a large hole as she went through. She hit the ground, surrounded by dust, debris, and various cleaning items indicating that she had landed in a storage closet of some kind.

"Ow…" Hakufu moaned as she crawled out, "Ton-chan… you have to fight it…"

Kakoton roared again and charged at her. Before he could even get within a foot of range, a sudden blur appeared and kicked Kakoton into a pile of trash. The trash flew about into the air as he collided with a powerful thud. Hakufu blinked at the sight at first, then looked to her left as she recognized the attacker. "Mou-chan! What are you doing here?"

"I should be the asking you that," the eye-patch girl frowned as she faced her leader. "Just what's going on?'

"It's Ton-chan! He's being controlled by a monster!" Hakufu summarized as she walked out of the hole.

"What?" Ryomou blinked. The sound of moving trash caught her attention. She turned to see Kakoton digging himself out the trash. What got her attention were the bandages on his arm and legs, unlike the ones Totaku wore which were clean while his looked quite ancient. Not to mention that he was glowing in a yellow aura. This aura was unlike anything she felt before, and it was unlike the aura from Hakufu's Haouryuu. Whatever was going on, it wasn't good.

Kakoton snarled as he walked forward, making Ryomou and Hakufu tense for another fight. After taking a few steps though, Kakoton suddenly stiffened and jerked. To Ryomou's surprise, a yellow and black void appeared on his chest and spat out a white mummy. Once the void closed, the bandages and yellow glow on Kakoton vanished. He collapsed on the ground immediately.

"Ton-chan!" Hakufu gasped.

"What the hell?" Ryomou gawked.

The White Yummy growled as it stood up. The skin cracked and yellow and black flames came out. Just as it had happened before, yellow and black flames broke out. Finally, the Yummy's body was engulfed in the strange flames which overtook its body and sent its skin crumbling to the floor like dirt and ashes. Once the flames vanished, the Yummy took on a new appearance.

The Yummy looked like a large cat on two legs. It had thick black fur on most of its body and thick muscles in its arms that looked as capable as Kakoton's of crushing things, if not more so. Its torso was covered by chain mail underneath a dark and tattered karate gi while its legs were covered in tattered jeans. Finally its face was a pale gray and seemed human, for what could be seen from the shadows of the panther head sitting on its cranium, shielding its eyes save for the crimson light emanating from them.

"What the hell is this?" Ryomou demanded in shock.

"It's called a Yummy!" Hakufu said. "It's like the one that attacked our school, but this one looks like a cat!"

The Panther Yummy opened its jaw wide. It took a deep breath as yellow light began to shine brightly in its mouth. Once the light was bright enough, it fired a laser blast at the girls. The Nanyo Fighters leaped from the range as the laser swept in, breaking the walls from some buildings. Luckily, nobody was in any of them.

Ryomou landed from the attack and analyzed the Panther Yummy. "Was that a Ki blast?" she muttered to herself. "No… it was something else."

"Oi! Hakufu!" Both girls looked up from their position and saw a young man standing on top of a fence with his arm crossed, obviously impatient with what was going on and thus officially aggravated. Ryomou almost thought it was Kokin, but blinked as she noticed the red kaijin glove on his right arm.

"Where have you been Ankh-chan?" Hakufu snapped.

"Never mind that, just waste that thing!" he retorted as he tossed three coloured coins to her.

Hakufu swiftly snatched the coins out of the air as they came to her. Ryomou watched as Hakufu turned to face the Panther Yummy, pulled out the OOO Driver and had it wrap around her waist. She inserted the Core Metals into each of their slots, tilting the belt to the left, and then grabbed the O Scanner before she swung it over the Core Medals.

"Henshin!"

**"TAKA! TORA! BATTA!"**

**"TA-TO-BA TATOBA TA-TO-BA!"**

Ryomou had long since thought nothing could surprise her anymore. However, since meeting Hakufu Sonsaku, she had been proven wrong on that account several times. Once again, she was proven wrong about her capacity for awe when she witnessed her friend and leader suddenly transform, becoming engulfed in a black suit of armour which was highlighted in green on the legs, yellow on the torso and red on the head. Each part was connected to a round section on her chest, marked with three animal insignias.

"Wh-what?" Ryomou gaped. It was a question she was asking a lot that day.

"All right!" OOO cheered as she took a battle stance. "Now things are really getting exciting!"

The Panther Yummy merely snared and charged at her.

Above the fight, even higher than Ankh's current perch, banners of yellow and gray unfolded across a rooftop as Cazali and Gameru strolled across it, leaning over the side to see the new OOO take on the latest Yummy. Cazali was looking only mildly interested, but Gameru seemed much more excited as he got down on his knees in attempts at getting a better view of the action.

"Oh! It's OOO!" the gray Greeed spoke up, pointing down below.

"I can tell," Cazali nodded, feigning interest. "Looks like my Yummy is going to teach her a lesson for picking on Mezul's Yummies."

Gameru blinked from his position before looking up to his fellow Greeed in what seemed to be in confusion, "Picking on Mezul's Yummies?"

"Oh yes," Cazali nodded, taking his own perch on the building ledge, "Mezul tried to hide it, but I could tell just by looking at her that she was just so upset that OOO had destroyed all of her cute Yummies. She just didn't want to show it because that would end up upsetting you. You know how much she loves you Gameru."

That in itself was a big lie on Cazali's part. In truth, Mezul really didn't care if her Yummies were alive or not so long as she got the Cell Medals that they created. They were expendable and easily replaceable. Gameru on the other hand didn't know that and with the way that he fawned over Mezul like a big sister or parental figure, he would do just about anything to make Mezul happy. As easy as it was to get him to agree to anything so long as Mezul was concerned, Gameru was still something of an idiot and getting him to do anything was difficult at the best of times, especially if you needed something done with precision.

Thankfully, this was not one of the times that precision was needed.

"Hiyah!" OOO cried, lunging at the Panther Yummy with a straight punch. The feline Yummy didn't even try to dodge the blow and instead allowed it to collide with its chest with a meaty thud. Instead of react with some measure of pain, OOO instead began to tremble before she withdrew her fist and waved it slightly to try and get the blossom of pain out of it. "Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

"Oi, what are you doing!" Ankh shouted.

"His body's hard!" whined OOO and she ducked as the Yummy swiped at her. She then used the Tora Claws and slashed at the Yummy, this time ripping sparks when the claws made contact. The Yummy showed that it at least felt the strikes from the attacks, but they still failed to pierce the skin and drain at least a few Cell Medals from the monster. As exciting as it was to fight monsters, OOO began to feel her stomach sink a little at the thought of fighting something she couldn't hurt.

"Must I do everything?" muttered Ankh. He prepared to throw a Core Medal at OOO when all of a sudden an enraged yell echoed through the alleyway. At first OOO and Ryomou thought that another enemy was about to try and pounce on them from either end, trying to get a drop on them. However, a gray blur from above killed that thought before it crashed into the ground, smashing the concrete it landed on and making several cracks split through the ground. In the centre of it all, a gray monster with a brown bandaged torso stood up, huffing and puffing like he had been running…or was angry.

"Gameru?" murmured Ankh. What was Gameru doing here? He usually stuck like glue to Mezul and if at any time they would have seen him, it was when they had to deal with Mezul's Yummies. Gameru didn't much care for what the other Greeed did unless it was something he found fun and judging by his voice, this certainly wasn't the case. He was mad, and when Gameru was angry, lots of things were going to be destroyed very shortly.

"OOO, I will make you pay!" Gameru shouted as he pounded his chest with his fists. "This is for Mezul!"

OOO stared at her opponents. Now she had one of the Greeed to deal with. "Who are you?" she asked as she got back to her feet and this time drew the Medajilabur. She didn't receive an answer and the Greeed charged at her with another battle cry. OOO reacted quickly to the sloppy (even in her eyes) charge and swung her weapon, ready to strike the monster down and maybe get some Medals in the process. The Medajilabur cut the air quickly, but as it reached Gameru's skin, it stopped like it hit a brick wall, failing to cut anything. That was the last thing OOO recalled seeing clearly before her chest exploded with pain and she was sent sailing through the air and smashed into another wall. Ironically, it was right next to the hole which Kakoton had kicked her into before.

"Hakufu!" Ryomou cried, dashing over to her leader and friend. She cursed herself for her negligence, but she could tell that this was a fight that was beyond her skills even as one of Nanyo's best Fighters. She felt useless and like a coward for not even trying, but right now her leader was in need so she swept her feelings aside so to meet with her recovering friend.

"I'm okay Mou-chan," OOO's slightly dazed voice murmured from the wreckage. Getting closer, Ryomou saw OOO stumble out, but something was wrong with her armour. The yellow section was flickering between yellow and gray. Still loopy, OOO kept talking. "What kind of superpower did that elephant guy hit me with?"

"Hakufu…he just punched you," Ryomou grimaced.

"Really? It felt like I got hit by a train."

"Gameru's power is his strength!" Ankh started to explain. He was still on his high perch, but he was much more agitated than before. He knew just how dangerous Gameru was, having seen him in action many, many times before. "Also…WATCH OUT!"

The front of Gameru's face that resembled an elephant's trunk stretched and then he lashed it out at OOO. OOO saw the appendage coming at them and grabbed Ryomou, rolling both of them out of the way before they got crushed. The trunk smashed against several bricks, shattering them before Gameru withdrew his trunk and pounded his chest in anger. That meanie OOO wasn't going to sit still and take her beating! Well, he would make her stand still!

"Are you okay, Mou-chan?" OOO asked her friend. Ryomou nodded. OOO got back to her feet and looked between Gameru and the Panther Yummy. Just how was she supposed to handle these two at once? She could take on Yummies, sure, but the Greeed were way tougher and the last times she won against Uva was because she managed to hit him in a soft spot or using a precise strike with what little martial arts she knew. Judging how Gameru managed to block a sword strike with just his skin, she kind of doubted that what worked against Uva would work against him.

"Oi, Hakufu!" Ankh called and tossed a Core Medal to the sometimes ditzy Fighter. Catching it, OOO saw the familiar green colour and the image of the Kuwagata Medal.

"OK, Ankh-chan!" OOO took out the red Taka Medal and replaced it with the green Kuwagata Medal before tilting the buckle and gripping the O Scanner just as the Greeed and Yummy charged. She quickly swiped the O Scanner across the Medals, the coins chiming as they were scanned.

**"KUWAGATA! TORA! BATTA!"**

OOO's Take Head helmet morphed into the green Kuwagata Head. "Now what?" OOO asked.

"Use your head!" Ankh shouted.

"My head? Oh, my head!" She concentrated and lightning lanced from the horns before striking Gameru and the Panther Yummy, causing them to jump in shock. OOO on the other hand was taking the sight much better. "Wow! I didn't know I could do that with my head! This would have made fighting all those sharks way easier!"

"Would you shut up and fight them already?" Ankh snapped. It seemed like his choice of ally was as interested in running commentary in her fights as she was actually fighting them!

"OK, gotcha!" OOO glared at both the Yummy and Gameru. Green electricity crackled from her horns before she unleashed another attack. The bolts struck home on both Gameru and the Panther Yummy, creating blasts of sparks and a flash of light. Both enemies stumbled away, but aside from some smoke smoldering on their chests, they didn't seem to be any worse the wear from the attacks beyond some electric shock. The Panther Yummy seemed fine, but Gameru was rubbing his eyes after the attack had blinded him.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Gameru yelled in pain. At first OOO was afraid that it would cause the Greeed to get even angrier and attack her that much harder, but instead Gameru started to…cry. "It hurts! It hurts!" he wailed, rubbing his eyes. He sniffled loudly before he turned from the fight and began running away crying, "Mezuuuullll! OOO hurt me!" He didn't stop when he met a wall, instead crashing through it and leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

OOO tilted her head to the side at Gameru's behaviour. "What was-ACK!"

In her distraction, the Panther Yummy hit her and sent her flying with a single blow. The Kamen Rider hit the ground heavily and groaned, obviously caught off guard since being distracted by the crybaby Greeed. Rather than press the attack though, the Yummy instead retreated to where Kakoton's unconscious body was laying on the ground, pushed to its limits. The Panther Yummy continued unobstructed towards Kakoton's prone form. Diving towards him, it turned into yellow energy before phasing into his body once more. Kakoton regained consciousness with a gasp while his eyes turned yellow again. The bandages of the Yummy curled around his arms and legs, signaling his repossession. With a snarl, the possessed Kyosho Fighter turned and began to stumble away.

"Oi, come back!" OOO shouted, getting to her feet and attempting to run.

"**BASICS!**" the possessed Fighter roared, smashing the wall next to him and making a cloud of dust. OOO ran into the cloud, attempting to swat the dust out of the way, but when the dust finally settled, she only found herself in the middle of the debris. The Yummy had gotten away with Kakoton.

"…oh shoot."

"Baka, you let him get away!" Ankh snapped, jumping down from his perch. Angry, he stopped over to OOO with a growl in his throat. "And you didn't even get any Cell Medals out of it!"

"Hey! It was really tough! It's was like punching unbreakable rock or something!" OOO cried in her defense.

"No excuses!" Ankh growled. "If you're a Fighter then you should be able to figure something out!"

_PHWEEET!_

OOO and Ankh turned their heads to see Ryomou as she pulled her fingers from whistling position in her mouth. Her one visible eye was narrowed at the pair. OOO recognized that look all too well. It was her no-nonsense look which meant she wanted something and she wanted it now, if not sooner. OOO knew she was going to be in trouble now and it did not look good.

"Ok," the bluenette frowned. "I want to know just what the hell is going on."

* * *

Inside one of the many buildings which existed inside Greater Kanto. One of these many buildings was a bar that had long since gone out of business since the war of the Fighters began. Since the area was predominantly populated by teenagers who were ready to beat the living shit out of each other, no adult wanted to hang around during the more violent periods and with no way to legally serve alcohol to minors without getting caught business went south.

Inside was the usual abandoned bar complete with a bar stool and a serving counter with old chairs stacked up on old dusty tables. The spiders hadn't taken residence, but the mice managed to find a nice home within the area. The room also had several dried up plants decorating the room with a decorative waterfall on the side which had long since dried. The place may have been an upscale bar at one point, but the War of the Fighters kept the owner from turning a profit.

One man's loss was the Greeed's gain.

Uva was sitting at the bar drawing a line with his blades on the wooden surface, rubbing his bare wrist once or twice in agitation. On the other hand, Mezul was reclining at one of the tables, sipping one of the leftover drinks from a martini glass, experimenting with the various tastes. Both Greeed were content to lounge around and do nothing at the moment, leaving their desires to lounge be satisfied. Both Greeed were content to leave one another alone for the time being until something happened.

"Mezuuuuuulllll!"

The cry of a sobbing Gameru caught the attention of both Greeed. The front door slammed open and Gameru came rumbling it, wiping his face and crying once again. Mezul was instantly on her feet, setting her drink down so not to let it get smashed. Uva pretended to ignore it while he shifted his seat so not to be run over by his fellow Greeed. He did keep an ear (or whatever passed for one with his body) trained on what Mezul and Gameru would be talking about. If it was something worrisome that set Gameru off then he wanted to know about it.

"Gameru-chan, what's the matter?" she asked sweetly.

"OOO! OOO hurt me!" the silver Greeed sobbed, rubbing his eyes.

"Oooh, poor Gameru-chan," Mezul cooed, hugging the sniffling Gameru while rubbing the top of his head. "Don't worry. Mezul will make everything better."

* * *

Hakufu and Ankh rode back to the former's house with Ryomou riding behind Hakufu. In the wake of the fight, no one was left the victor since Gameru and the Yummy had run away. Ankh couldn't sense it so it was taking pains to hide itself for the time being. Of course, Hakufu didn't really care about that at the moment. She could feel Ryomou's stern glare on her ever since the bluenette had demanded answers as to what the crazy situation was all about. The blonde leader of Nanyo just hoped that Ryomou wasn't going to punish her or something. That might be just as bad as if her mother was going to do it and Ryomou probably wouldn't stoop to something like a spanking either.

Finding the Shu house, both Ankh and Hakufu came to a stop on the curb, dismounting their vehicles before hitting the switch that allowed the machines to transform into vending machines. Ryomou raised her eyebrow, but didn't comment on the sudden transformation. She would just be demanding answers for that along with the story about the monsters and she wouldn't be going anywhere until she got them. If she had to twist Hakufu's arm for them, so be it.

"My mom should be home," said Hakufu. "I should tell her we came home."

Ryomou was still glaring.

"Mou-chan…" Hakufu whined. "Can't you stop glaring at me?"

Ryomou replied, "Not until I get answers."

"How troublesome," Ankh remarked. "We should just kill you."

Hakufu bonked Ankh on the head. "Don't threaten my friends!" Hakufu scolded. Ankh scoffed in response, rubbing his head. A normal person may have felt some fear in the casual way that Ankh recommended death, but Ryomou was far from normal. She had heard death threats for a long time now and considered them more or less a regular part of her week considering how many times she had to bust heads of people who thought they could muscle into Nanyo's territory…or when an Imperial Order came out for her. As such, Ankh's threat didn't concern her.

"Your name is Ankh?" Ryomou asked, eying the red arm of what she had thought to be her classmate up until that scuffle in the back alley. "So, what happened to Kokin?"

"That's what we'll tell you once we get inside," said Hakufu.

The trio entered the house and saw Goei there to greet them. The glasses-sporting woman took note of how Ryomou was with her daughter and possessed nephew as well as the fact that Ankh was revealing his true arm rather than the disguise that he usually bore. Taking it all in, she came to a simple conclusion, "Oh my. So Mou-chan figured it out did she?"

"Yeah. Pretty much," Hakufu chuckled weakly.

"I still say we should just kill her," Ankh huffed.

"Ankh-chan!"

"Please come in Ryomou," Goei smiled at the eye-patch girl. "I'll get some tea on and my daughter can explain the mess she's gotten herself into."

Seeing no way out of the situation, Hakufu and Ankh left for the living room with Ryomou in tow. Hakufu took a seat, trying not to be too nervous since this was Ryomou's game face she was staring down. Ankh merely dropped into his own seat and rested his chin on his kaijin hand. As Goei brought out her tea, the bluenette eyed her leader.

"Well?" she asked. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Okay…well…I guess I should," Hakufu sighed. "From what Ankh-chan told me, he's something called a Greeed. Apparently they were made 800 years ago and when they started going on the rampage, OOO, that's the armour I'm using, managed to kick all their butts and seal them away in some kind of tomb. Yesterday when that art gallery got blown up, all of the Greeed got out and started doing bad guy stuff. Ankh-chan here lost a lot of his Core Medals and Cell Medals so all he could form was an arm of his old body and steal the Core Medals of some of his friends before he ran."

"Strategic retreat," Ankh huffed. "I know better than to fight a battle I can't win."

"Core Medals?" asked Ryomou.

"The source of our power," Ankh replied impatiently. Flicking his monstrous fingers, he revealed the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals. "Without these we Greeed would perish. I'm already at my limit with so few in me even with the ones I stole. That's why I got Ms. Booby Bombs here to assist me in fighting my former comrades and take more Core Medals."

"Why does everyone keep calling me Booby Bombs?" Hakufu muttered to herself.

'_If you haven't figured it out yet then I'm not going to tell you,_' Ryomou sighed inwardly as she regarded Ankh. "So you were weakened and decided that Hakufu would make a good partner until you managed to pull yourself back together again?" Seeing Ankh's reluctant nod, she decided to ask a burning question. "So if you're really just an arm, what happened to Kokin?"

Silence befell Hakufu and her eyes began to water slightly. Ryomou wasn't used to seeing her leader being anything beyond unbelievably perky or enraged when her dragon started rearing its head so seeing her leader actually being sad was something new.

"Kokin…he…he," Hakufu sniffled. "It's all my fault…"

"A Yummy smashed his head into the sidewalk, rendering him comatose for all intents and purposes," Ankh shrugged. "Frankly I'm surprised his head didn't get turned into pulp when the impact happened, but seeing how much punishment you Fighters go through, it makes sense. I naturally couldn't let a tough body like that go to waste so I moved in. Thanks to me the boy's still alive and if I get enough Core Medals, I might even be able to fix the damage that was done."

Ryomou narrowed her eye at Ankh, trying to see if he was telling the truth. It was no secret how much Hakufu treasured her cousin…or the giant crush he had on her in return. Considering Hakufu's sobs, that was probably what happened to Kokin. However, she had her doubts that Ankh would be able to do something about Kokin's condition. He admitted to being one of the monsters which were running about and causing trouble. For all she knew, he was just pulling the wool over Hakufu's eyes, which wasn't a difficult feat when you thought about it. A more conniving person would have noticed that they held all the cards if they had to deal with Ankh in such a way, but with the monster possessing Kokin, it went both ways. Hakufu had to help or else she'd probably lose Kokin while Ankh had to cooperate or else he'd never get the things he needed to repair himself.

"So, how did Hakufu get dragged into this?" Ryomou asked.

"It wasn't like I planned it," Ankh retorted. "I was going to get killed so I went for the closest human I could find to become OOO. I didn't need a genius, just someone who knew how to fight. That is why I'm working with her."

"Did you just call me stupid again?" Hakufu glared.

"Don't think for a moment I'm doing this for charity," Ankh frowned, ignoring the irate blonde. "Like I said, I'm in this for the Cell Medals and the Core Medals. If I didn't need them so badly then I would have simply left the boy in the middle of the road and kept on going."

"Then why Hakufu?" asked Ryomou. "You already have Kokin so why make her fight the Greeed rather than doing it yourself? You have a body now don't you?"

"It's because Hakufu was the one who activated the belt and became OOO," Ankh snarled, getting irritated with the constant badgering from the bluenette. "Once someone activates the belt then no one else can use it! Hakufu is stuck being OOO until the day she dies. After that, anyone can take her place."

"Really?" Hakufu blinked. "I didn't know that."

"Hmm…" Ryomou frowned as the information gathered in her head. She knew Hakufu had a habit of being reckless; that was how the original Hakufu met his end after all. But now she'd gotten herself deep into a monster invasion, and she was now charged with stopping those monsters from doing what they came to do. She could only imagine how this would affect her fate as well as the fate of the other Fighters. Sure some changes were expected in the war over the years what with the progress of technology and such things. However, the Greeed really seemed to come out of left field, being something no Fighter had faced before.

"A long time ago, I would have said it was all farfetched," Ryomou admitted. "But after seeing what went on, starting with yesterday, I can't disbelieve it. We do, however, need to talk to Gakushu and Saji about this. The rest of the schools would have to know about the Greeed as well."

"We'll figure out something," Hakufu nodded. She was all for warning everyone about the Greeed, even if the schools really weren't getting along all that much nowadays. Since Rakuyo was beaten, everyone was ready for all an out war again.

"Humph, I can't comprehend why you're so eager in fighting the Greeed, Ryomou," Ankh huffed. "It's not like you have the necessary strength to fight them."

"It's that she wants to help stop the Greeed that makes her strong in spirit," Goei said, entering the room with several small snacks. Setting down the plate, she took her own seat and promptly entered her own opinion into the conversation. "I'm betting the other Fighters won't just stand around while the Greeed take over their city."

"Then they would be walking to their own deaths, you hag."

Wrong thing to say buddy.

In a blink of an eye, Ankh found himself pinned on Goei's knees with his butt bared, a considerable feat since Goei and Ankh had Hakufu seated between them before she made her move. The mature woman proceeded to spank the humanoid kaijin for all it was worth. Ankh yelped and shouted at the sharp pain stinging on his buttocks. He cursed and raged, trying to get out of the older woman's grip, but her arm which pinned him down was like steel and would not budge.

"Don't think for a moment that just because you possessed my nephew I'm giving you any special treatment," Goei said as she kept that wry smile on her face, ignoring the cursing and swearing from the young man in her lap.

Ryomou could only sweatdrop at the sight before her. Hakufu had once told her that Goei would spank her whenever she ripped her outfits, or called her on her age. She thought she was exaggerating but it seemed like that info was right on the money. Hakufu on the other hand had a silly grin on her face, seeing someone else other than her on the receiving end of those spankings.

"I did warn him," Hakufu grinned.

* * *

**Nameless Bar**

Gameru finally managed to calm down as he lay on one of the plush benches with his head in Mezul's lap, the fish-like Greeed humming softly. If the elephant-like Greeed were capable of it, he would have been sucking his thumb as he felt his mother/sister figure stroke his head, making the pain go away. Mezul certainly didn't mind as it was somewhat comfy and it kept Gameru docile and not destroying things in one of his temper tantrums. At the bar, Uva glanced over at the pair, a question coming to his mind.

"Oi, Gameru," he spoke up. "Where's Cazali?"

"…Dunno," the gray Greeed shrugged. "He went…somewhere…"

"Hnn," Uva frowned. "That guy. Always doing whatever he wants."

* * *

"Rrrrrr!" Ankh growled as he rubbed his violated spot, "My ass is so sore! That was cruel and unusual punishment."

Ankh continued to mutter several more colorful words as he walked down the sidewalk. After Ankh's "punishment", Goei suggested that they spread out to look for the Yummy that had escaped them. Hakufu didn't tell who that Yummy came from; her mom would only flip out for sure. Since Ankh could sense Cell Medals, he went on his own. Hakufu and Ryomou would search elsewhere.

Ankh continued to nurse his buttocks as the sting continued to irritate him. Now he knew why Hakufu complained about those spankings. He scoffed at her for being such a baby about it, but he found out the hard way why it was no joke. If he had his full body, those spankings wouldn't leave a scratch on him, but right now he was not that durable. He could only shudder at what the other Greeed might think if they found out. Uva would laugh, Mezul would say he probably deserved it, Gameru would tease him like the annoying brat he is, and Cazali…

"Hehehe, that sure was amusing," Ankh cursed as he turned to see the yellow Greeed leaning on a lamppost with his arms crossed. If his face could show expressions, he would have an amused smirk. He obviously saw something he shouldn't have. "Now you have humans spanking you like a common child? Just how far have you fallen, Ankh?" he continued as he got off the lamppost and walked causally towards Ankh.

"Shut up, you!" Ankh snapped. "This is only temporary, I swear it! Just what are you doing here?"

"Can't I check up on an old friend?" Cazali responded, stopping just a foot away.

"Friends? Since when were we ever friends?" Ankh snorted. "What are you really after?"

"My missing Cores, for one," Cazali started. "You have one of them."

"Sorry, but I'm not parting with it," Ankh retorted. "I need it."

"You mean OOO needs it," Cazali retorted. "How ironic, you working with the very being that sealed us away."

"Circumstances change, Cazali." Ankh snarled. He refused to let his fellow Greeed get the better of him. Ankh knew he had a temper, but he also knew the dangers of letting it get the better of him. If he wasn't careful, this stand-off would go out of control and he'd end up possibly losing all of the Core Medals he collected, his own as included!

"Indeed they have," Cazali nodded, glancing at Ankh's arm. "You're incomplete like the rest of us, Ankh. You need your Cores and more Cell Medals, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Ankh snorted.

"So, how about we join forces?"

"Join forces, with you?" Ankh already smelled something fishy. Cazali was never what one would call trustworthy. Then again, neither were Mezul or Uva. If Cazali wanted to do you a favour, then that meant he wanted something in return or was working an angle that was either unnoticeable or difficult to comprehend. Of course, being a Greeed likewise meant that there was a certain risk of being stabbed in the back. "What's in it for you?"

"Well, we are Greeed, after all. We should stick together. I know you, Ankh. You don't want to be stuck with these humans anymore than you have to. Think about it, OK?" With a half-hearted salute, the feline Greeed sauntered away. After a few steps, he leaped onto a nearby house and began jumping into the distance. Ankh merely watched him go, his cell phone clenched in his hand and hidden behind his arm.

* * *

Hakufu and Ryomou were already on the search for the elusive Yummy while Ankh was dealing with Cazali. Both Nanyo students approached one of the many Kougami Foundation vending machines which housed the ever so useful Candroids situated next to a subway station. Reaching the machine, Hakufu saw that it now housed not only Taka and Tako Candroids, but also held the newest Batta Candroids as well. Riffling through her pockets, Hakufu produced three Cell Medals, a small portion of the amount allowed to her by Ankh and slipped them into the machine. She then tapped all of the buttons under the red and blue selection of Candroids, but only two for the newest model.

"**TAKACAN!**"

"**TAKOCAN!**"

"**BATTACAN!**"

Red cans spilled out of the machine, followed by blue ones, making a small pile on the ground. Finally, a single pair of green cans dropped into the receiving tray like normal vending machines would. Hakufu quickly grabbed one can from all three, sticking the blue and green ones under her arm as she fiddled with the red can. Ryomou merely watched and asked, "What will you do with all that?"

"Just watch. This is cool." Hakufu grinned. She pulled the tab and Ryomou watched the can and the other matching ones transform into robot birds. "Please, track down Ton-chan for me. Come back to me or Mou-chan when you find him." The red robot bird gave a soft cry before it and its brethren took to the sky in search of their quarry.

"What is this?" Ryomou asked in surprise as Hakufu pulled the tab of a blue can and then a green can. The blue cans transformed into robotic octopi as the green cans turned into grasshopper-like robots. The Tako and Taka Candroids flew away to track down Kakoton.

"Take one," Hakufu offered Ryomou a Batta Candroid. "We can use it to keep in touch."

"Where did you get all of this?" Ryomou asked, taking the green Candroid. "This kind of stuff cannot come cheap." She didn't mention that such machines were probably not available to the general public since this was the first time seeing the machines in action. Hell, there was a similar vending machine outside of Nanyo and no one was able to get these machines. All that came out there were various energy drinks with animal icons stamped on the sides. All of them were labeled after nature: Skyfire, Seaspray, and Landslide. She had seen fellow Nanyo students drinking from such cans and they didn't turn into robots when they opened them!

"The cake boss gave me all this along with the sword," Hakufu answered, somehow telling everything and yet nothing at the same time. "He's this nice guy who runs a business and bakes cakes all the time. All we need to give in return is sixty percent of the Cell Medals from each Yummy we beat."

"I see. So I'm guessing you already defeated a few," the pink-eye girl nodded. Then she remembered something. "Saji told me that he was attacked by someone in a green bug suit yesterday. You think it was one of the Greeed?"

"It must have been Uva-chan. He's a Greeed too," Hakufu said. "That means that the Bee Yummy came from Saji-chan. At least we now know why it ate bras and panties to get stronger."

"Guess they really do feed on desire."

* * *

**Kougami Foundation**

"Desire is such a wonderful thing," said Kougami as he looked out his window with a mixing bowl in hand as he started to whip the batter. "Don't you agree, Satonaka-kun?"

As always, the woman was sampling a slice of cake Kougami had made. He was eccentric but his cakes were amazing. "I can't disagree, sir."

"Yes, it is," confirmed Kougami. "Ever since we humans are born we have desires. Even as babies we have desires and a baby cries because it wants something. As the baby matures it wants more and more." He let out a laugh. "Nothing can happen without desire! Desire for clothes, money, food and property! And there's also the desire for power!"

"Are you referring to the Fighters?" Satonaka asked.

"Yes, Satonaka-kun, the Fighters are not immune to desire either and one of them uses the power of desire, the power of the Greeed," Kougami laughed. He looked down at the table, were three pictures where set side by side. The pictures contained the faces of Ryuubi, Sousou, and Hakufu. Taking a spoon, he scooped out a portion of batter and doodled on Sousou and Ryuubi's pictures. "The desire for power can steam from many things. For the kings that wish to conquer kingdoms is the desire of creation. With Greeed's lust to destroy those kingdoms is the desire of destruction. The wants and dreams of both sides are considered to be infinite." Kougami stopped in mid-drawing as another thought came into his head. Dipping his spoon in once more, he continued to draw, "So… which is why something is needed to curb those desires. Something… over infinity!" He stopped doodling as he looked at his handiwork with a grin. On Sousou and Ryuubi's pictures, an infinity symbol was drawn on them. On Hakufu's picture, a large O was over it.

* * *

**Nameless Bar**

The bar in which the Greeed had taken to hiding out was once again down to two. Mezul was again daintily enjoying drinks while Uva was swinging around a baseball bat which he had found behind the counter, testing to see how it fared. Gameru was nowhere to be seen and Cazali had never come back.

"Gameru-chan is so sweet to me," Mezul giggled, sipping a martini. "He tries so hard to make me happy. Some days I really doubt if he has desires of his own. I guess that's what makes me so sure he'll never betray me."

"Whatever," Uva huffed. "You do know Cazali probably fed him some line so he'd go after OOO, right?"

"Of course," Mezul giggled. "Cazali probably has something in mind and needed OOO-shoujo to be distracted…or the pair was supposed to team up and destroy her."

"Hmph! Too bad Gameru's such a crybaby!" the insect Greeed chuckled.

"Now don't be so harsh on Gameru-chan!" Mezul scolded her fellow Greeed. "He is the youngest out of all of us. Why, he's practically just a baby, still learning about the world. It's so cute."

Uva just shook his head, not seeing how some muscle-bound child like Gameru was supposed to be 'cute'.

* * *

"Man… where is that stupid thing?" Hakufu growled as she drove though the streets. After giving Ryomou all that was necessary, the bluenette rode off on the Rive Vendor that Ankh had left behind. The Booby Bombs was currently patrolling Inner Kanto to search for any signs of a wild Fighter on a rampage. As luck would have it, there were no clues anywhere whatsoever.

Coming to a red light, Hakufu sighed. Then at the corner of her eye, she recognized another motorcyclist on a similar bike. It wasn't Ryomou, and it wasn't Ankh.

"Oh!" Hakufu exclaimed. "You're the motorcycle guy from yesterday!"

Goto sighed as he eyed Hakufu from his own Ride Vendor. He just simply couldn't understand why a…a…ditz like Hakufu Sonsaku could be allowed to be such an important figure like OOO. He knew about the Fighters and he knew about their origins so he at first thought that despite her young age, channeling someone like the king Hakufu Sonsaku from the Three Kingdoms era would mean that OOO would be a competent and serious fighter who knew how to do what needed to be done. Instead, the blonde girl he had seen becoming OOO several times seemed to be ignorant of just how serious the battle with the Greeed was and how much more seriously she should be taking the battle.

"Yes," he sighed. "That's me. Shouldn't you be looking for that Yummy?"

"I am looking for the Yummy!" Hakufu frowned.

"Obviously not hard enough," Goto shot back. "You had a chance to stop it and one of the Greeed before and both of them got away. I was expecting much more from someone who is supposedly channeling the spirit of Hakufu Sonsaku from centuries ago."

"Hey! It's not as easy as it looks! I'd like to see you do better!" Hakufu huffed.

"If it were me who became OOO, I would be," Goto sighed. "For some reason, Kougami-san wants you to be and to remain as OOO. Personally I think we should have just taken the belt from you and forced Ankh to help us."

"Like Ankh-chan would do that," Hakufu huffed, knowing how stubborn the bird-like Greeed was. "Besides, he says that since it was me who activated it for the first time I'm the only one who can activate it from now on. At least until I die or something."

"What?" Goto blinked, turning to look at Hakufu with a narrowed gaze. Hakufu was about to answer, but the light then turned green and she instead gunned her ignition. With a wave, she shot off down the street to resume her search for the Yummy hidden in the midst of the people. Goto watched her for only a moment before he likewise followed the flow of traffic, heading in a different direction. Hakufu's words about the OOO Driver echoed in his ears. Was what she said true? Was that the reason why Kougami told him they could not demand the belt from the girl or was it a lie crafted by that Greeed so he could keep the ditz as his ignorant pawn?

* * *

Ryomou was riding along the streets on a Ride Vendor as well. She had to admit that she was impressed with all the things she'd seen today. It wasn't everyday she found out one of her closest friends was some armoured superhero and she'd been hearing rumours about it but never seen OOO in action until now. She had thought that they were simply someone's idea of a joke or some lunatic going around in a costume, but after seeing the truth, she found herself to be a believer.

Of course, she still had to sigh at her friend's abysmal performance but then again she was new at fighting monsters and from the explanation she got, even Fighters like Kanu weren't close to the Greeed and Yummies' level and Ryomou didn't like that. Hakufu couldn't fight alone and she couldn't trust Ankh. He was a Greeed too and only doing all this for his own selfish reasons. It was like he said; he wasn't doing it for charity.

On the other hand, she had to admit that the things Hakufu had come into possession of were quite useful, the Candroids especially. There were tactical applications for the miniature robotic animals and Nanyo would benefit a lot from using them. Having vehicles like the Ride Vendors hidden in plain sight would give Nanyo a large tactical advantage of rapid transportation in case their Fighters needed to run or get to somewhere quickly. Disguising them as vending machines while they weren't in use actually made a lot of sense when you thought about it. If they needed a quick ride, a bike would be just around the corner and no one else would be the wiser. Whoever thought up of that was a genius, and she would personally shake his hand. The only problem was that they needed those silver Cell Medals to activate the machines and those were in a very short supply. They could be found in considerable amounts in Yummies which Hakufu would destroy, but sixty percent of them would go to the people who were supplying the technology while the rest were given to Ankh who in turn kept a strict allowance to Hakufu in case she needed to use said machines.

What worried Ryomou would be the other schools' reactions to the threat of the Yummies and the Greeed. Nanyo would be made aware of the situation since Ryomou would tell Gakushu and Saji unless Hakufu told them first. Seito was aware that the monsters existed since their leader was used to make an army of them if Hakufu had told the story right. No doubt that after this newest Yummy was put down, Kyosho would know that something strange was going on as well. What concerned her were the likes of Youshu and Yoshuu. Both schools were either desperate for strength or arrogant enough to believe that they were strong enough to compete against the greater schools. If they learned about the Greeed then they may very well try to make a partnership with them to have Yummies as soldiers or something. That jerk Ryuyou who led the practically defunct Youshu certainly would be desperate enough.

All that could wait though. This Yummy which was possessing Kakoton was the current threat and it needed to be dealt with. After the situation was resolved that could decide what the next step would be. Looking up, she spotted the Taka Candroids in the air and a few Tako Candroids as well. They still hadn't found anything. Then, one of them swooped down and landed on the Ride Vendor's gas tank. They had been ordered to look out for Kakoton so maybe this little one found him already. Pulling over to the side, Ryomou took the Batta Candroid she'd been given earlier and spoke into it, "Hakufu, Hakufu are you there? This is Ryomou. Do you copy, over?"

"_Ah, I'm here, Mou-chan. What's up?_" Hakufu responded, her voice coming out of the Batta Candroid.

"One of those bird robots landed on my bike. I think it found Kakoton. I'll keep in touch. Over and out."

* * *

On the beach that was owned by Kyosho Academy, there was a pair of Kyosho Fighters and one Rakuyo Fighter. The first was a tall blonde young man who wore the school uniform of black trousers and a black jacket with a red shirt underneath. Next was a young man with khaki shorts and a grey shirt underneath a white button up t-shirt. He had gray hair and a silver bead on his ear. Finally was a girl who was wearing what seemed to be an upper class red and green school uniform. She had long black hair done up into two ponytails and glasses which covered her eyes.

These three were Kakuka Houkou, Sousou Motoku, and Kaku Bunwa. Sousou was the uncontested leader of Kyosho academy while Kakuka and Kaku were both lieutenants in his army of Fighters. Kakuka was a long time trusted friend and ally, almost as long as Kakoton while Kaku was a recent addition after the defeat of Totaku and Rakuyo submitting itself to Kyosho's rule. So far the girl was proving to be trustworthy, but it would be a long time before she reached the same levels that Kakoton and Kakuka held.

Sousou may have looked like a friendly, easygoing and lazy guy, but in reality, he held a dark secret. For a long time now, he was being menaced by the evil spirit of his magatama, the evil and greedy king from the Three Kingdoms. At one point of his life, he had single-handedly slaughtered his fellow martial arts students and sensei. It was all because he was influenced by the spirit. Before the Big Fighters Tournament, he managed to ignore the voice in his head, but now the evil king's influence was beginning to get stronger. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the king would control him completely. He would fight, but he wasn't sure how much longer he would last.

However, Sousou's fate was soon going to go through different route. That was a story for a different time though.

Kakuka and Kaku were currently watching the leader as he was once again snoozing on the beach. Kaku had his head on her lap. She had to admit to herself that Sousou was a lot cozier than Totaku. At least she didn't have to worry about being molested or stripped to his whims like Totaku had. Kakuka was standing watch, making sure that there were no assassins in sight. However, his eyes revealed that his thoughts were focused on another matter altogether.

"Thinking about Kakoton?" Kaku asked suddenly, not changing her position.

"Hm?" Kakuka blinked and turned to face her. "Yeah, just thinking. I wonder what happened to the guy. Last night, he attacked several of our guys that were training in one of the warehouses. I know for a fact that Ton-chan would never attack people without reason, and especially not his own men."

"They reported seeing him covered up in old bandages and having an eerie yellow glow in his eyes," Kaku recalled. "Do you think he has a dragon spirit that's finally woken up?"

"Somehow, I doubt it," Kakuka frowned. He had a feeling that something else was going on, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

* * *

In Kyosho itself, the students were milling about their business, heading to their next classes. All of a sudden the hinges of the front door exploded catching everyone in surprise. They began to fear an invasion from one of the rival schools was commencing, but their stomachs sank even deeper once they saw Kakoton stumbling in, still bloody and bruised, still wearing those bandages and that pained snarl, still with that same yellow glow. The students backed away slowly, remembering what he did just yesterday.

The possessed Fighter unleashed an almost primal bellow before a yellow light surged from his mouth. In a single blast, he launched a yellow energy beam which obliterated one of the walls and sent numerous Fighters flying into their desks.

After that...all hell broke loose.

* * *

Sousou woke up in a shot and sat up from Kaku's legs. It wasn't one of his nightmares that he woke up from. It was the feeling that something was amiss. It wasn't a supernatural ability like the spirit he was forced to channel, but a long ingrained instinct that true rulers earned which connected them to their kingdoms. It was an instinct which alerted them that something was amiss, something that needed to be addressed quickly for fear of becoming an indescribable crisis.

"Lord Sousou?" Kaku asked in a hint concern.

"Something's wrong," he managed to breath out. As if on cue, several explosions were heard behind them. The trio turned around, and to their shock saw yellow beams of light streaking out of their school.

"What the hell is that?" Kakuka gasped. It seemed to the question of the day.

"Let's go!" Sousou frowned as he stood up and ran to protect his school. Kakuka and Kaku followed.

* * *

Ryomou skidded to a stop on her bike just outside of Kyosho's walls. She had a sinking feeling in her gut when she began to recognize the territory, but seeing the yellow flashes blast through Kyosho's windows, walls, and whatever else was in the way just confirmed it. The Yummy had found its way back to Kyosho and was now going on yet another rampage. Being in the school itself would make sure that Sousou would get involved as well. While she admitted that she had a curiosity as to how someone with a Haoryuu would stand up against a Yummy without the OOO armor, she crushed the thought. This wasn't the time to think about such things. Right now she had to try and find a way to delay the Yummy without Kyosho's Fighters trying to kill her at the same time.

Grabbing the Batta Candroid, she started speaking into it, "Hakufu! I'm at Kyosho Academy! I found the Yummy! Get your butt over here, now!"

"_On my way Mou-chan! Just hold on!_" was the energetic blonde's reply.

* * *

Hakufu was pulled over on a curb on one of the many streets that Kanto played host to. She was at the moment attempting to contact the only other person she knew of who would have a Batta Candroid on their person. Well, she hoped that he would have it. She didn't think that he was very good with cell phones yet.

"Ankh-chan! Can you hear me? Ankh-chan, come in!" Hakufu cried/whined.

"_Blast it woman, I can hear you!_" Ankh's sour voice snapped back. "_What is it?_"

"Mou-chan knows where the Yummy is!" Hakufu answered. "She says it's out at Kyosho! Meet us there so we can kick its butt!"

"_About time someone got something done,_" the Greeed answered. "_Maybe I should have made the cyclops OOO instead._"

"Hey!"

"_Just get there! I'll meet up with you!_"

"Right! See you Ankh-chan!" Hakufu grinned. Compressing the Candroid back into its can form, she pocketed it before hitting the ignition. With a roar of her engines, she was off like a shot. She didn't want to miss out on all of the exciting action that her friend Mou-chan was already getting into!

As she cut another corner, she gasped in shock when she saw Gameru in front with his arms spread out, looking like he was blocking her. Hakufu hit the brakes and ended up skidding several more distances with a loud screech. If only she had stopped sooner. Gameru grabbed the front of the bike and by the sheer velocity and his strength, Hakufu was sent flying from her seat, over the heavy Greeed, and landed flat on her butt some feet away with a loud grunt. As she hit, her Batta Candroid fell from her pocket and rolled away, unfolding into its robot form once again, squeaking curiously.

"Ow…" the blonde groaned, standing up as she rubbed her bottom.

"OOO!" Gameru bellowed, swinging his arm around as he approached. "Now you'll pay for hitting me! You big meanie!"

"Oh, this day just keeps getting better and better!" Hakufu growled sarcastically as the grey monster charged.

* * *

By the time Sousou, Kakuka and Kaku had got inside the school, they saw everything in shambles. The doors were torn, the walls were broken apart, and the windows were shattered. The ceilings didn't look any better either, along with the lights that were flickering and beginning to fall out of place. Some had already fallen. On the floor were the beaten Kyosho Fighters trying to get back on their feet.

"No… way…" Kakuka let out.

"What happened to this place?" Kaku asked no one in particular.

Sousou spotted one of the Fighters leaning on what was left of the wall, battered and bruised. Wanting answers, he ran up to him. "Hey! Who did this?"

"It was Ton-chan!" the Fighter answered. "He beat the crap out of all of us and shot friggin' laser beams from his mouth!"

"Ton-chan's returned?" Sousou gasped.

"Wait, laser beams?" Kaku rose an eyebrow, "Was that the blasts we saw from outside?"

"**BASICS!**" was the cry that was heard before the wall next to Sousou and the injured Fighter exploded with a yellow flash. This brought all of them at a considerable shock.

"That seems to confirm it," Kakuka frowned.

The leader and generals entered the hole with extreme caution. They really didn't want to provoke Kakoton if something pissed him off enough to make him go on a full blown rampage. As they entered, they saw Kakoton smashing his bloody knuckles on whatever he could find; bookshelves, tables, blackboards, whatever. He kicked over one of the chairs and suddenly stopped. As if he sensed their presence, he turned around to face his fellow Fighters. His teeth clenched as the yellow in his eyes flashed brighter.

"Hey, calm down, Ton-chan," Sousou said carefully. Kaku and Kakuka circled the crazed Fighter, ready to move at a moment's notice. "It's us. We're your friends. Remember?"

"Get… away…" Kakoton heaved. "Can't… control…"

"What is it, Ton-chan…?" Sousou blinked

Kakoton released a loud roar which would have shaken windows, had they not been broken already. As he roared, Cell Medals began to spill out of his skin, covering him from head to toe, concealing him completely. In a flash, the medals fused together and created the body of the Panther Yummy. Completed, the beast gazed at the trio of Fighters with the utmost malice.

"You…?" Sousou gaped.

"What the-?" Kakuka gawked.

"Oh my God!" Kaku gasped.

The Panther Yummy snarled as it began to move in, but the sound of a running motorcycle caught it off guard. A literal heartbeat later, an actual motorbike smashed through an untouched wall and slammed the Yummy into the broken scrapheap. As the vehicle struck the Yummy, the rider leaped from its seat, allowing the monster and machine to crash into the far wall, and through it while she landed on her feet. The trio of Kyosho Fighters blinked at the sudden moment, and then turned to see their savor. Their eyes widened as they recognized the gloves, boots, and eye-patch behind the helmet, not to mention overall uniform of this motorcyclist.

"You…" Kaku blinked, "You're Ryomou Shinmei of Nanyo Academy!"

"Let's cut to the chase," Ryomou spoke, pointing to the hole in the wall that the Panther Yummy was pushed into, "Kakoton is being possessed by some sort of parasite monster. That's why he went on all those rampages."

"Ton-chan is possessed?" Sousou gawked.

"Yes, and no exorcism in the world can free him," the submission hold specialist said. "That thing that took his place is called a Yummy, and it's much stronger than all of us here combined."

"Just how strong are we talking?" Kakuka pressed.

"Earlier today, some Youshu Fighters tried to get the drop on him, thinking he was just a sitting duck. Let's just say that what Kakoton did to them was a replay of Hakufu's conquest of Youshu High. Only bloodier."

"And why should we believe you?" asked Kaku

"Dammit, this isn't the time for this!" Ryomou hissed, disgusted at Kaku's subtle accusation that Nanyo was part of the reason the monster was attacking Kyosho. She removed her helmet and tossed it aside, "This thing doesn't care what school we're from or what spirit we have! We're all just targets to it! Now are you going to help me at least try to cripple this thing or what?"

Sousou frowned as he eyed the Panther Yummy as it began to crawl its way out of the wreckage, definitely hurt but in a minimal way, "Well, I believe you. Let's do this." Looking to Ryomou, he added, "If there's a way to save Ton-chan from this thing though, we're going for it."

"If you're going, I'm going," Kakuka snickered, rubbing his knuckles. "We'll get Kakoton out of there in no time."

Kaku frowned and adjusted her glasses, "I'm a strategist, not a warrior. Try to make it use as many of its abilities as you can. Maybe it'll expose a weak point. I'll rally the other Fighters here so we can at least get the wounded and the lower classes out of the way."

"Appreciate it Kaku," Sousou nodded. "Okay. Kakuka, Ryomou, let's show this thing not to mess with our town."

* * *

Meanwhile, Hakufu was busy with her scuffle against Gameru. As fun as fighting the Greeed and Yummy was while she had her armor, fighting them without it was not fun at all. Gameru was the strongest out of all them, and he could punch a lot harder than Kakoton. On the up side, he was a lot dumber than she was, and he didn't seem to know any martial arts at all. His forms were all so sloppy, even she could pick up on them. That being said, she still couldn't afford to get hit by those punches.

"Hold still!" Gameru yelled as he continued to throw his slow yet deadly punches. Hakufu gave no answer as she continued to move about to try and confuse the heavy kaijin, using her size and agility. She made a quick sidestep as Gameru slammed his fist down into the concrete, creating a huge tremor with large cracks appearing on the ground. Hakufu shook and wobbled around before she managed regain her footing. Seeing how slowly Gameru was moving up, she made her move. She dashed behind Gameru, jumped on to his back, secured her left arm around his neck in a chokehold, and stuck her two fingers into his trunk with her right hand. If she couldn't fight this guy hand to hand, then she'll just improvise!

"ACK!" Gameru exclaimed as he started to shake the girl from his back. "Get… off!"

"No way!" Hakufu shouted. This only made Gameru begin to swing harder.

Like a scene out of a rodeo, Gameru bucked and shook in attempts to get the blonde off of his back and her fingers out of his trunk. He ran up and down the street, attempting to smash her into whatever was handy. However, Hakufu proved to have quick reflexes as she positioned herself to avoid the hit. He had attempted to grab the arm which was sticking fingers into his trunk, but Hakufu would just slip it away and when Gameru would grab for her, she'd stick it back in, irritating the Greeed to no end.

"I…said…GET…OFF!" Gameru bellowed loudly, finally managing to get a grip on Hakufu. With a mighty yank, he removed the blonde from his back and hurled her down the road, making her hit the concrete once again.

"…ouch," Hakufu groaned, managed to begin getting up. Looking at her hand, she saw…fluids. "EEEEW!"

"Ow, ow, ow," Gameru grunted, rubbing his trunk, ignoring Hakufu for the time being.

Hakufu wasn't in a much better state of mind as she desperately wiped her fingers against her skirt, trying very hard not to think of just where she had stuck her digits a moment ago. She was halfway to believing she had just imagined doing that or it had happened by accident, but either way it was proving to be a great distraction to Gameru for extreme strength and durability of a Greeed or not, not one liked getting foreign fingers shoved up their nose.

"I have to admit, I've never seen anyone fight Gameru like that before."

Hakufu blinked and looked down the street to see Ankh resting on his own Ride Vendor motorcycle, sitting casually as if there wasn't a battle going on in front of his face.

"Ankh-chan! How'd you know I needed help?" asked Hakufu in surprise.

"You left your little machine on," Ankh answered, pointing to a Batta Candroid which was hoping at the wheel of his motorcycle. Flicking his wrist, he produced the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals. "Now, let's get this over with!" he cried, tossing the Medals.

Hakufu easily caught the coins before turning to face Gameru. Retrieving the OOO Driver, she strapped it to her waist. Inserting the Medals, she shifted the buckle before grabbing the O Scanner. With a shift of her arm, she scanned the three Medals, activating their power. "Henshin!"

"**TAKA! TORA! BATTA! "**

**"TA-TO-BA TATOBA TA-TO-BA!"**

The colored Medals danced around Hakufu before forming the TaToBa armor. Just as Gameru got the irritation out of his nose, he saw OOO in her full form. With a raging roar, pounding his fists onto his chest, he charged.

"Hakufu!" Anhk called. "You say that the Yummy's hide was too thick, yes? Then get at least one of Gameru's Medals for extra strength!" Maybe Gameru's annoying habit of following things that caught his interest would turn out good for a change.

"Easier said than done!" OOO shouted as she stumbled back to avoid another punch. The Batta section of her chest plate flashed before the energy ran down her legs. Just as Gameru moved in again, OOO slammed her foot on his face. Sparks and green energy flew out instead of Cell Medals, but by the way he was backing away while holding his face in whimpering pain, he was obviously hurting.

OOO continued her attack by sending kick after kick after kick. She knew that Cell Medals would have to spill out eventually, and if she was lucky, she could get a Core Medal too. Of course, Gameru wasn't about to take much more of what she was dishing out. He slapped away an oncoming kick to his face and retaliated with a backhanded punch which sent the female Kamen Rider flying to her side. OOO hit the ground hard again, actually skidding since the momentum of the blow had been quite intense.

"You bully!" Gameru snarled. "You'll pay for that!"

"You're the one who started this, and you're calling ME the bully?" OOO retorted as she stood up.

"Girl!" Ankh shouted as he brought out another green Core Medal. "Use this next!" He tossed it to OOO and she caught it. She looked at the Kamakiri Medal before she replaced the Tora Medal with it. Then she swiped the O Scanner over the Medals.

**"TAKA! KAMAKIRI! BATTA!"**

The tiger section of the armor was soon replaced the mantis, along with her weapons of choice. Gripping her Kamakiri Swords, she pooled the energy of the Medal into them, allowing them to glow bright. Gameru apparently didn't notice the swords flashing as he rushed in to pound her. At the very last moment, she slashed her swords across his chest in an X strike, making the same shaped mark on his chest in green. Gameru staggered backwards as the Cell Medals pooled out from his body. However, that wasn't all that fell out…

"My… Core Medal…" Gameru moaned as he fell to his butt. Without the Core Medal to keep him whole, his right leg from the kneecap down began to smoke. Before Hakufu and Ankh's eyes, the silver and tough armor which Gameru wore changed into Cell Medals before falling to the ground. Underneath was the same kind of flesh as Gameru's torso, black and covered in ancient brown bandages. Gameru began sputtering as he grabbed his uncovered leg, as if trying to will the sight out of existence.

OOO noticed one of the Medals sticking out from the rest. After retracting her Kamakiri Swords, she bent dowe and picked up, seeing that the Medal was gray with the image of a gorilla's face on it.

"Yosh!" Ankh grinned as he slapped OOO on the back, making her stumble in surprise. "Not bad, girl! And you managed to get one of his Medals. Well done!"

"WAAAHH!" Gameru sobbed, catching both of their attentions, "I'm gonna tell!" With another childish yell, he ran off to one direction before smashing into a wall to make his exit.

"…He's just a baby," OOO blinked.

"He's always been that way. A spoiled little brat," Ankh huffed. "Anyway, forget about him! We've got a Yummy to destroy!"

"Oh! Right!" OOO nodded, shaking her head before dashing towards her Ride Vendor. Time was crucial at the moment since Ryomou was probably doing everything she could to keep the Yummy where it was, never mind what the Fighters at Kyosho were doing while it was there to.

* * *

**Kyosho**

"GAH!"

With a massive blow, Kakuka was sent skidding back on his feet before crashing into a wall, making a crater from the force of the impact. He was scuffed up and had a trail of blood leaking from his mouth. His right eye was beginning to swell shut and his stomach was revealed since his shirt got shredded by the punch from the enemy.

Sousou and Ryomou weren't looking any better. The Kyosho leader was covered in scratches and cuts, courtesy of the Panther Yummy. His shirt was a complete loss and he was panting, short on breath. Ryomou's own top was hanging off her shoulder and her skirt was in tatters. Her eye-patch was even missing and she was taking pains to keep her eye shut lest one of her deeper secrets make itself known. Even Kaku was looking roughed up with her uniform torn in several places and cracked glasses. A powerful Fighter she may not have been, but she did know how to strike precisely for devastating blows. However, it wasn't enough apparently as the Yummy had swatted her away.

"Just what the hell is this thing made of?" asked Sousou, clenching his fists.

"Not the one to ask," Ryomou grunted.

The battle had spilled out into the yard surrounding Kyosho, and the landscape suffered because of it. Craters, broken walls, holes in the building proper, etc. The Panther Yummy was proving to be just as tough as Ryomou predicted, both Sousou and Kakuka taking powerful blows for their trouble and despite returning several, didn't seem to reach the affect that they were looking for. However, Sousou was feeling a little off of his game. Fighting monsters was something new to him, but what was pushing him off of his game was the fact that the spirit of his magatama was being silent. Usually when battles went on, the first Sousou was always whispering in his ear to conquer and destroy his enemies. This Yummy…it was something that the first Sousou never experienced before, which meant he had no idea how to deal with it.

For some reason, that really got Sousou concerned.

"It's like…hitting solid rock," Kakuka grunted, removing himself from the wall.

"Shit, just how can we beat this thing?" Kaku growled, vexed that her flawless strategies were looking useless.

"I know someone with enough power to stop that thing," Ryomou said, "But she should have been here by now. Where the hell is she?"

They say speak of the devil and he will come. That was what happened as two Ride Vendors came running into the battlefield. Just as they came to a halt, the armored motorcyclist got off, while the boy who also looked like he was also from Nanyo stayed on his bike with his arms crossed. Kaku tried to see who it was, but they were wearing a helmet, obscuring their identity beyond their Nanyo uniform.

"Who are they?" Sousou blinked. He had also heard rumors of an armored hero going around town from his other Kyosho Fighters. Personally, he thought that it was a load of BS, but this Panther Yummy was already dissolving his skepticism. Now it seemed like all the logical explanations were being blown out of the water.

"Friends of mine," Ryomou answered. Then she turned OOO with a frown. "So just where have you been all this time?"

"Sorry Mou-chan," OOO answer, surprising Sousou, Kakuka and Kaku, as they didn't expect a girl to be underneath the armor, "One of those Greeed was keeping me busy." She looked at the Panther Yummy, which was still standing tall. "Looks like you guys need some help." OOO summoned her Kamakiri Swords and gripped them hard as she stared down the Yummy, "Hang in there, Ton-chan," OOO whispered before she charged with a loud yell.

OOO slashed her blades across the monster's body, causing sparks to fly out into the battleground. But alas, even with the Kamikiri Swords granted by the Kamakiri Medal, OOO couldn't cut into the Yummy's tough skin. A brutal blow sent her flying and the Kamakiri emblem as well as the armor on her arms that were linked to it started to flicker between green and grey.

"Damn, I don't think I can take much more of this," muttered OOO, "Unless…" She reached down to the side of her belt that had a coin container on the side and took out her recently obtained Gorilla Core Medal. "OK!" OOO exclaimed as she took out the Kamakiri Medal and then replaced it with the Gorilla Medal as she got back to her feet and tilted the Driver's buckle. "Let's try this!" She grasped the O Scanner and swiped it over the Core Medals.

**"TAKA! GORILLA! BATTA!"**

In a flash, the Kamakiri Arms were replaced by thick and bulky looking silver gauntlets. The armor covering her shoulders was also thick. The centre of her chest armor likewise swapped out the Kamakuri design in favor of a silver gorilla one. OOO looked to the new armor and then pounded her new gauntlets together as she grinned. "OK, now this I can work with!"

The Panther Yummy hissed before it charged in for another attack. This time, OOO was prepared as he put up her large fists. As the Yummy got close enough, she sent a right hook to the chest. Instantly the Panther Yummy was sent flying on to its back with the Cell Medals spilling out of the wound. As the Panther Yummy staggered back to its feet, a tan and bloody hand was trying reach out from the small hole in the centre of its chest.

"Ton-chan!" Sousou shouted. He would have tried to reach for his friend's outstretched hand, but the Panther Yummy, in seemingly a panic, stuffed the Fighter's hand back into the wound before the yellow energy swallowed it up and healed the hole.

"Looks like you'll need to soften it up a little more to get Kakoton out of there," Kaku said, satisfied that something was working against it.

"Glasses girl has the right idea," Ankh commented, catching OOO and Ryomou's attention. "It seems that the guy in there is still alive even after what the Yummy put him through. If you're so keen on saving him then you'll have to make a hole big enough to get him out. Otherwise you won't be able to destroy the Yummy with your bleeding heart getting in the way."

"Right!" OOO nodded as she moved forward.

The Panther Yummy was not going to put up with being a stationary target as it rushed in to get the first hit. However, OOO managed to block all of its strikes with her wide gauntlets before sending a counterattack over her own at its face, making Cell Medals spill loose once more. The Panther Yummy stumbled backwards as OOO pressed on with her punches, making more Cell Medals spill out. After sending it back with one powerful punch, OOO rushed in and started to send a whole barrage of giant punches at its stomach. "Dush! Dush! Dush! Dush! Dush! Dush! Dush! Dush!" Cell Medals began to spill out wildly as the Panther Yummy continued to receive its punishment. Slowly but surely, a sizable wound opened across the Yummy's muscled stomach, revealing within the battered and bruised Kakoton. However, the Cell Medals inside the Yummy were swirling about as if they were alive and seemed to be trying to keep Kakoton away from the opening even as OOO tried to keep the wound open."Ton-chan!" OOO shouted, reaching out to him. "Ton-chan, give me your hand!"

Kakoton grunted in exhaustion and pain, but he reached out towards OOO and the armored Fighter grasped it in both hands before she pulled hard to free him from the Cell Medal prison. She could feel the Cell Medals pulling, trying to keep Kakoton inside, but it was a slowly losing battle. At the same time, the hole was closing up as the Panther Yummy seemed to begin panicking again and tried to force the wound closed in favor of fighting off OOO.

"LET TON-CHAN GO!" OOO roared as she pulled back her fist and bashed the Yummy hard in the face, throwing it backwards painfully. This also caused Kakoton to be pulled free from the Yummy and into OOO's arms in a shower of Cell Medals.

"Ton-chan..." OOO uttered happily, glad her friend was saved. She heard a roar and saw the Panther Yummy healing itself. However, it was also struggling to get up from the ground, its source of power seemingly gone.

OOO glared at it as she gently set Kakoton aside, aiming her ire at the Yummy. Kakoton may have been a little weird, and had a thing for her mom, but he was really nice and didn't deserve to be treated like the way the Yummy did. Keeping the recovering monster in her sights, she grabbed her O Scanner and swiped it across her buckle, making the Medals shine.

**"SCANNING CHARGE!"**

"Eat this!" OOO shouted as she charged at the Panther Yummy. As she approached, her torso armor began to glow as energy was pushed into the three sections. Getting closer, she leaped into the air with the power of her Batta Legs before gravity asserted itself and she came back down, her Gorilla Arms rearing back for powerful punches aided by the gravitational force while her Taka Head targeted a precise spot for the upcoming blow. Reaching the Yummy, she smashed both of her fists into the centre of its torso, creating a flash of light from the impact and a shockwave that knocked over the more fragile walls surrounding Kyosho behind it. The Yummy screeched in pain as it flew backwards from the hit and exploded before it could even touch the ground, filling the air with both flames and Cell Medals which began littering the ground.

OOO stretched and sighed, glad it was over. Of course, the eyes of the other Fighters were on her in either awe or suspicion. Sousou and Kakoton were mainly looking at her in awe. Right before them was an actual superhero. Both of them were hardcore Tokusatsu fanboys, and now it seemed like they got VIP seats to a Tokusatsu show in the making. Kaku and Kakuka on the other hand looked suspicious. They could guess that the terrifying power she displayed was only a taste of what she could really do. And for all they knew, she may have set them up. Hopefully she wasn't like one particular schemer that they knew.

OOO chuckled weakly as she waved. "Um...hi. I'm...OOO."

Sousou blinked and shook his head, hefting Kakoton's arm over his shoulder so to keep him on his feet, "I've gotta say, we owe you one. Kakoton's a pretty close friend of ours and I'm glad we've got him back. I'm just glad he didn't go crazy after all."

"Hey…not that bad," Kakoton huffed weakly.

"Yeah, he was kinda scary when he was going nuts on all those other Fighters," OOO nodded. "He sure kicked their butts though! It was almost like the time I-!"

"**TAKACAN!**"

Attention turned from OOO to her helmeted companion who was no longer sitting on a motorcycle, but next to a black vending machine which had a pile of red cans in front of it and was holding what seemed to be a red robot bird of some kind in his hand.

"Sixty percent to the teme," he spoke in a highly aggravated voice, "Forty percent to me."

The bird gave a cry before flying towards the mass of Cell Medals lying all over the grounds. To the shock of the Kyosho Fighters, the red cans on the ground turned to similar robots and followed their comrade to collect the silver coins on the ground. As they were collecting the coins though, Kaku snapped to attention and quietly scooped up a handful of the coins, discretely hiding them in her pocket while everyone's attention was trained on what the robots were doing. Soon enough, the birds had collected the coins and more than half took off into the horizon while the other half dropped their payloads into the 'gloved' arm of the helmeted boy, making the limb glow with crimson energy.

"What the-?" Kakuka frowned.

"Not my story to tell," Ryomou sighed, walking towards OOO. "Glad to see you made it."

"I was held up," OOO told Ryomou. "I'll tell you later, Mou-chan. Right now I think we should take Ton-chan to the hospital."

"We'll take care of it," Sousou grunted, hefting Kakoton once again. "We Kyosho Fighters take care of our own. Besides, it looked like you've finished up here."

OOO looked on worriedly, but she didn't press the issue, "Well…if you're sure…"

"He is," Ryomou sighed, turning to walk away from the scene of the battle. "Now come on. I need to get out of these rags."

"Fine," OOO sighed, glancing back at the Kyosho students. "Get better Ton-chan!" Heading over to her Ride Vendor, OOO leaped into the driver's position while Ryomou (reluctantly) took a back seat. The helmeted Nanyo student just produced one of the silver Medals he obtained and dropped it into the vending machine's coin slot before pressing a button. The machine changed into a motorcycle which the student mounted. With twin roars of engines, the three took off onto the streets, vanishing behind what remained of Kyosho's boundary walls before heading around a turn.

"Well, that's all the weirdness I can take for now," Sousou sighed before glancing at Kakuka. "Hey, help me get Ton-chan to the hospital, will ya? I think we all need some looking at."

"No kidding," Kakuka groaned, heading over to assist his leader and friend.

"Shouldn't we call an ambulance Lord Sousou?" asked Kaku in concern.

"It depends on Ton-chan," Sousou answered as Kakuka helped the weak Kakoton stand up by hefting an arm over his own shoulder. A normal person who saw Kakoton's condition would have definitely wanted an ambulance. However, Fighters beat each other black, blue, and bloody on a regular basis and so had to be careful of people from the community seeing them. Wanting to keep out of trouble or not, there were plenty of folks that would notice a bloody and bruised person stumbling down the streets. People noticing such things started asking questions and if people started asking questions, people in high positions started trying to provide answers and that would usually mean someone tries cracking down on the battles between the Fighters, making the situation that much more difficult. As such, using services such as ambulances were usually kept to a minimum unless someone was on the brink of life and death. "Think you can wait a bit Ton-chan or did that thing really mess you up?"

"I…can take it," Kakoton grunted. "Just really sore…and tired…a bed sounds nice…though."

"Okay. Just hang on then Ton-chan," Kakuka nodded. With his friend's approval, the three male Kyosho Fighters began to make their way towards the local hospital, leaving Kaku to handle the fallout on what had just occurred in Kyosho.

* * *

Ryomou, properly dressed and back at Hakufu's, watched as Ankh counted the Cell Medals before absorbing them into his arm. She didn't trust Ankh at all. He was a Greeed, one of the monsters Hakufu was fighting. At the moment, Hakufu was taking a shower, leaving the two alone in the living room. Goei had been more than happy to see them all return, having obviously worried herself as to thoughts of her daughter fighting monsters. After making Ryomou her personal dressing doll for Hakufu's clothes, both the bluenette and the possessed boy found themselves alone in the living room while Goei made dinner for all of them.

Ryomou decided that this would be the perfect time to get some answers for herself.

"So, you need Cell Medals to make a body, right?" she asked.

"Yes, but I also need my Core Medals to stabilize myself," Ankh answered, not looking up from his counting. "Using this body is all I can do for now until then."

"So, if you need Cell Medals so much, why don't you make your own Yummies?" Ryomou asked pointedly. "I mean those other Greeed are making them to gather Cell Medals, right?"

"Che!" Ankh scoffed. "Why should I waste any of my Cell Medals to make Yummies while I can let others do it for me? The other Greeed are producing them for me and I might as well destroy them and get their Cell Medals," Ankh responded.

"So, it's more out of spite," Ryomou concluded.

"That's right!"

"Wouldn't it be better for you to work with the other Greeed?"

"Maybe, but I don't trust any of them!" Ankh didn't trust anyone in fact. "They might stab me in the back and steal all my Cells and Cores if given the chance."

"So, that's why you chose Hakufu? Because…"

"She's an idiot, but I trust her more than I trust the other Greeed," Ankh finished. "Too bad for me she cares more about being a hero than collecting Cell Medals."

* * *

**Seito**

The property of Seito Private School was finally fixed from all of the water damage that had occurred between the battle of their Fighters, OOO, and the Shark Yummies. Classes would be resuming soon, much to the frustration of some of the less academically inclined students.

The one approaching wasn't a student of Seito though.

Approaching the school was a young man who wore a bronze Magatama on his ear. The setting sun obscured his features since he was standing with his back to the light. No one would be able to see who he was even if anyone was there to actually see him.

"Stay safe Ryu-chan," he muttered. "I'm coming to see you."

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**Special Omake: Count the Medals!**

"Hi everyone! I'm your super cool and super cute host, Hakufu Sonsaku!" the Booby Bombs of Nanyo Academy cheered as she hopped onto an elevated stage holding a microphone. "And with me today is my awesome friend, Mou-chan!"

"My name is Ryomou Shinmei," the stoic bluenette muttered as she walked from backstage into the camera's view. "I don't know how you talked me into this, but let's just get it over with."

"Okay!" Hakufu cheered. "For everyone who's seeing this for the first time, Count the Medals is a special segment made to help everyone keep track of how many Core Medals me and my friends have managed to pick up since our adventures with the Greeed began! We also take some time to explain the powers and history behind one of the Medals each episode!"

"Why am I here again?" asked Ryomou, seeing Hakufu hamming it up on the camera.

"Let's get this started!" Hakufu grinned, pointing to the side as a large screen was lowered into the view with a drum roll. "Today's Medal is…."

**TAKA!**

"…The Taka Medal!" Hakufu cheered as red confetti fell from above. "This is the first Medal I ever found! When I use it as OOO, it turns my helmet red with green eyes with my face plate styled after a bird, otherwise known as the Taka Head. What makes it so cool is that it makes my eyesight super sharp! It also makes my accuracy go way up so its way easier to hit bad guys like the Yummies or other Greeed!"

"The Medal is red and obviously has a hawk carved on its surface," Ryomou added, showing absolutely no enthusiasm. "That means it comes from Ankh, the one Greeed who's on our side…at the moment. Personally I don't trust that bird since he seems fond of keeping information to himself unless he feels we need to know. He knows way more than he's letting on and I don't like it. I like him even less since he's literally holding Kokin's life hostage in his hands."

"Ankh-chan can be a little mean I guess, but I'm sure we can change his attitude!" Hakufu shrugged before turning her gaze back to the audience. "The Taka Medal is used in my most common transformation, the TaToBa Combo, also known as the Multi Combo. Joining the Taka Medal with the Tora and Batta Medals transforms me into the most balanced form of OOO. It's the form I usually use the most until I need a different Medal to change my chances of winning. The Taka Medal is also part of the combo made up of three of Ankh-chan's Medals, but we don't have those right now so I don't know what it is."

"So far we only have two Taka Medals out of three and Hakufu is only ever allowed to use one since Ankh needs the other one to just keep living," Ryomou continued. "They are the only two red Medals that Ankh has since all of the others have gone missing and he doesn't know where they have gone. I think that's suspicious since the other Greeed are missing some of their Core Medals too, preventing them from fully reviving."

"Well, once we get a set of three of Ankh-chan's Medals, we'll see what kind of Combo it can make!" said Hakufu happily. "Anyway, here is the list of Core Medals we have so far!"

**Taka Medal x2 **(Premiered in chapter 1, already in possession of Ankh)

**Kuwagata Medal **(Obtained in chapter 3, claimed from Uva)

**Kamakiri Medal **(stolen from Uva by Ankh in chapter 1)

**Batta Medal **(stolen from Uva by Ankh in chapter 1)

**Tora Medal **(Stolen from Cazali by Ankh in chapter 1)

**Gorilla Medal **(Obtained in this chapter, claimed from Gameru)

"We'll be reviewing another Core Medal on the next 'Count the Medals'! Until then, this is Hakufu Sonsaku."

"And Ryomou Shinmei."

"Signing off! Bye-bye!"


	5. Chapter 5

We do not own Kamen Rider OOO or Ikki Tousen. They belong to their respective creators and this work of Fanfiction is for recreation and amusement purposes only.

**OOO MEDALS OF IKKI TOUSEN**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome**

**Edited by Shadow Element 13**

**Original idea: Talismo4ever**

**Chapter 5: Of Strategy, Sweets, and a Sticky Situation**

On a plane just getting ready to leave the airport for a flight to Kanto, there was a blonde girl who was the picture of calm, but her insides were churning. She had been getting disturbing visions in her dreams, visions of multi-colored monsters taking someone away from her. She couldn't make out what the disturbing dreams really meant, but she knew she had to get to Kanto as quickly as possible.

The girl whispered something under her breath, "I'm coming... Kokin-oniisama..."

* * *

Up on a tree branch, Ankh sniffled and rubbed his nose just after he sneezed. Ignoring it, he sighed as he treated himself to a cherry popsicle.

"Another day, another damned visit to the torture district," he muttered to himself. He was about to take another bite from the popsicle when a blur snatched it from his hand. He blinked, looked down and then frowned when he saw Ryomou's glaring face with the popsicle in her hand.

"I've seen you with nothing but these for a while now," she said. "At first I thought you had gotten a hold of Gakushu's sweet tooth, but you eat them nearly all the time. It's not healthy. You have to eat these in moderation since you're basically his life support."

"I can eat whatever I wish!" Ankh snapped.

"Not while you're using his body," Ryomou retorted, tossing the popsicle into the trash behind her. "Now come on, Gakushu and Saji are with Hakufu."

"Why do I have to go?" Ankh grumbled.

"Because you're using Kokin's body and now his responsibilities are your responsibilities."

With another scoff, Ankh dropped from his perch and swore to make Ryomou pay for ruining his treat.

It had been a few days since the assault of the Panther Yummy on Kyosho. Since then, Hakufu was able to get the rest that she wanted while Ankh seemed perfectly content to gorge Kokin's body on popsicles, having discovered them in the freezer back at the Shu House. Since then it was a struggle to get him to eat anything else, but Goei's spankings were helping out on that front if Ankh ever got out of line.

The aftermath of the assault wasn't so easily dealt with. Seito and Kyosho both knew about the Yummies and OOO now, with both schools being on high alert for anything else. On the plus side, now it seemed all three of the major schools were looking at a common enemy since Rakuyo. The downside was that it wouldn't take much to spark off old rivalries if some idiot Fighter decides to start something. In short, the situation was a powder keg just itching for a spark since the other schools did not know about the Greeed. Ankh didn't want to spill the beans any more than necessary, but Ryomou's insistence along with Hakufu's whining made him cave.

The possessed boy and one-eyed girl approached the equipment shed which was useful for semi-private meetings. Already there were Saji, Gakushu, and Hakufu. They were obviously waiting for the pair. Thankfully, Saji had fully recovered from his injuries and Gakushu was back to normal after facing off against the Bee Yummy.

"Man, if it wasn't for the hair, I would have thought you really were Kokin," Saji commented, eyeing Ankh as he approached.

"Bite me," Ankh grumbled. "If it were up to me, you wouldn't be hearing a word of this."

Hakufu played peacemaker, "Come on, guys. We're all friends here."

Ankh snorted, "Friends? Since when?"

Ryomou agreed, "I hate to agree, but I consider Kokin a friend, not this body snatcher."

Ankh growled at Ryomou.

* * *

**Seito Shrine**

"So Kyosho was attacked by one of those monsters too," Kanu frowned. She, Chou-un, Ryuubi, Chouhi, and Koumei were all in attendance at their dinner table/meeting table to discuss the rather disturbing rumors which were flying around.

Also in attendance with the girls was Kouchu Kanshou, probably the only man who ranked as high as the other girls in the room. He was dressed in monk robes with a darker complexion and the stereotypical bald head which sparkled in the light. He was a very kind fellow, often allowing Koumei to ride piggyback when she decided to be childish now and then. As gentle was he was though, he was quite powerful despite rarely fighting anybody. Despite not being as active as the others, his opinions bore as much weight as the others.

"That makes all three of the major schools targeted by these creatures," Kouchu frowned. "I think it's fairly obvious that someone may be targeting us all."

"Yes, but the question is who?" asked Koumei. "From what I have been able to discern, none of the schools are capable of creating such monsters out of simple silver coins like the kind we found in the library. Something like that can't possibly be achieved through regular means."

"Which means we may be dealing with something we have never seen before," Chou-un frowned. "Something that neither we nor any of those who came before us have ever dealt with. It's completely new."

"Which means we're flying blind," Chouhi grumbled, flipping one of the coins which came from the shark monsters over her fingers. This one was marked with a peacock.

"But…OOO-sama is out there helping us!" Ryuubi cut it. "He's managed to fight off all of the monsters so far! He's saved lots of us too!"

"True…" Kanu admitted. "However, we do not know who sh**…**he is. If we can just get him to hold still long enough to answer some questions, we might figure out what we're dealing with."

"There's also that guy with that weird red glove," Chouhi pointed out. "If anything else, he'd probably know too. He was wearing a Nanyo uniform so there'd be a good place to start."

"It could have been a simple disguise, to blend in with the people here," Koumei reminded her friends. "For all we know it was just a ruse to make us believe that he's a student of one of the schools. He may not even be a Fighter in the first place."

"That may very well be true," Kouchu said, "But if we want the answers we are looking for, then what choice do we have?"

* * *

**Nanyo Academy**

Hakufu clapped her hands together, "OK, let's start the meeting!"

"Whatever," Ankh huffed.

"All right, I'll start things off," Saji nodded, crossing his arms. He glanced over at Ankh. "Mou-chan tells me that your insect friend used my desires to create that mummy-thing. It went on a damn panty raid all through the school before Hakufu managed to chase it off." He was actually pretty sore about that, not because he missed all the eye candy, but because the giant bug used him for something to deliberately harm women. That did not bode well with him.

"Uva's work," Ankh shrugged. "The more someone is controlled by their desires or try to repress them, the better the target for us. Stronger desires create stronger Yummies. Maybe if you weren't such a slave to the head in your pants you wouldn't have made such an easy target for Uva."

"Ankh-chan, stop being so rude!" Hakufu frowned.

"Moving on," Gakushu spoke, not wanting Ankh to mouth off and begin a fight. It may hurt Ankh to hit any part of him, but it was Kokin's body too. "There are four Greeed in total besides you and they each make a specific kind of these…Yummies?"

"That's right," Ankh nodded. "Yummies are essentially the desire of humans made solid. Uva's are basic; feeding off what their host desires to grow stronger. Gameru's come out fully developed and are physically superior. Mezul can make mobs of them from a single person and Kazali's reside in their host to control them until they are fully developed."

"All of them are pretty tough too," Hakufu added, recalling her past four fights. "And the Greeed are even tougher!"

"I can attest to that," Saji nodded, remembering the beatdown that Uva handed him before using him as a host for his Yummy. "We know they're way stronger than us and can even use us to increase their numbers. Do they have any kind of weakness?"

"Core Medals," Ryomou answered. Ankh glared at her, but she ignored him. "Colored coins similar to the Cell Medals they use to create Yummies. They're the source of the Greeed's powers and if we take them all away, they should die."

Gakushu looked reflective as he heard the news, "It can't be that easy. If it were, getting them would be a simple task and we would have gotten rid of them already."

"Got that right," Ankh nodded, flexing his hand. "Despite our size, we Greeed can have tens of thousands of Cell Medals inside of our bodies. We have to use them to use our abilities and make Yummies so we need lots of them. Try finding nine specific Medals in all of that."

"Just breaking through to try and grab them is hard enough," Hakufu pouted, remembering how difficult it was just to get a moderately-sized hole to appear in Uva's body. It may have taken one punch both times, but she had to put a lot of force into those blows. Uva wasn't any slouch in fighting either so her chances of doing it again were not good. Gameru's skin was even tougher than Uva's too. None of her punches were working and it was lucky that the Kamakiri Swords managed to cut his skin and let her grab a Core Medal. Otherwise it may have done nothing but make Gameru mad!

Saji leaned back against the shed wall, "And then Hakufu can use any Core Medals we have as powers and abilities for OOO. If she gets three of the same color, it becomes a massive boost that can really turn the tide. Like say if she uses three green Core Medals, she gains the ability to duplicate herself to the point that she has an army of clones. Too bad getting more of them is such a risky chore."

"Just how many do you have?" asked Gakushu.

"Ummm," Hakufu frowned in thought. She listed with her fingers, "Mantis, hawk, gorilla, grasshopper, tiger, and stag beetle. I think that's all of them."

Ankh kept his mouth shut, untrusting of the other three teenagers. Let them think he only had one Taka Medal. That suited him just fine. If they tried to snatch it, he'd have one left and be able to get a surprise avenue of assault for some payback. Ankh didn't like to bring more people into his personal situation, but his borrowed body along with the other three were the most powerful fighters in Nanyo Academy, one of the three superpowers in the war. If nothing else, he had materials to work with.

"Then comes is the equipment we've been given," Ryomou continued. "Aside from the sword that Hakufu uses, the new stuff we have now is pretty interesting."

"Oh?" Saji blinked at her, "Do tell."

Ryomou answered by pulling out a blue Candroid in its dormant form. She pulled on the tab, allowing it to turn into a robotic octopus. It squeaked cutely as it observed everyone in the room.

"This is…" Gakushu blinked.

"This is called a Candroid," Ryomou answered. "Just one of the new equipment we have in our arsenal. As you can already see, this little one here is themed after an octopus. There are two more we can make use of, both of which are themed after a hawk and a grasshopper. They all have specific functions for certain situations."

"Cute little fellow," Saji smiled at the tiny machine. "Can we all get one of these too?"

"As long as you have a Cell Medal," Hakufu said. "Remember all the black vending machines around the city? Those things are actually the ones holding the cute little robots. If you use a Cell Medal, you can get as much as you want. For normal money though, you just get ordinary soda."

"That's not all," Ryomou continued, "The vending machines are also motorcycles in disguise. You can activate them with a Cell Medal as well."

"Free motorcycles hidden in plain sight," Saji grinned at the thought of it, "That's really sweet. Whoever thought of that was a genius."

"That's what I said."

Ankh really didn't want to be reminded how he and Hakufu, in exchange for using the Kougami Foundation's Medal System, had to give 60% of the Cell Medals they collected in return. He had wanted to take it all for himself without giving even a single Cell Medal but Kougami was a cunning human so they had no choice but to comply.

"In that case, any chance we can have some-?" Saji began, turning to Ankh.

"No."

* * *

**Kougami Foundation**

"IT'S WONDERFUL! THIS MAY GIVE BIRTH TO A NEW ALLIANCE!" declared Kougami enthusiastically, "IMAGINE WHAT THEY CAN DO TOGETHER AGAINST A COMMON FOE!"

Needless to say Kougami had gotten wind of the three most powerful schools beginning to face off against the forces of the Greeed. It was likewise needless to say that he was more than a little excited about it. After all, there hadn't been such a solid commitment from the three great kings since the reign of Totaku and that was tense at best. This new common foe though was much more powerful than Totaku could ever have dreamed of being.

"Even with their strengths, I doubt they can do anything about the Greeed," said Satonaka. While she admitted that the Fighters were powerful, they were still human whereas the Greeed were so much more.

"Even so! One of them is OOO. That alone is enough!" Kougami grinned excitedly. "I simply MUST prepare a proper cake for the upcoming birth! Fetch my ingredients Satonaka-kun!"

"Hai, hai," the pretty secretary nodded as she stood up to fetch her boss' supplies.

* * *

Meanwhile, a young man in a black leather fur-lined jacket with a cap covering his silver head of hair grinned as he walked amongst the crowd. He saw all the people and his grin widened. Wandering through the crowds, he looked like he was standing above all of the people before him as if he were superior to them all. He didn't bother to walk very long before taking a skateboard in his hand and leaping on board before rolling down the street, cutting a path through the crowd.

He went a fair distance before wheeling into an abandoned bar on his preferred mode of transportation. There were three other present. One was a young man with slicked back brown hair clad in a green jacket. Sitting on a bench was a girl with black hair clad in a blue blouse with a matching skirt. Resting his head on the girl's lap was a young man with spiked up black hair clad in a grey sweater.

"The world has really changed in the last 800 years," said the young man in the cap.

"Hmph, but human desires haven't changed," countered the teen in green, playing with the bottles which were at the bar.

"It's always the same," said the girl in blue. "Desires drive humans." She rubbed the head of the young man resting in her lap.

"Hee hee," the young man in gray grinned as the girl stroked his head.

"Where were you anyway Kazali?" asked the young man in green.

"Just looking around," the young man in yellow grinned as he leaped atop the bar and sat cross-legged on the surface. As he took a seat though, he was quickly engulfed in a mass of Cell Medals which were lightly covered in a yellow aura. The mass of coins shifted into a new form before fusing together into the form of the Greeed Kazali. "As dull as the regular humans can be, the latest generation seems pretty active."

"Oh?" asked the girl. Both she and the young man in her lap were covered in their own mass of Cell Medals coated with auras of silver and blue before revealing themselves as Mezul with Gameru in her lap.

The man at the bar became engulfed in Cell Medals which glowed with a green aura before revealing himself as Uva, "What do you mean by that?"

"I've been hearing about something called 'The Romance of the Three Kingdoms"," said Kazali. "It actually happened about a thousand years before our time. A massive war out on the mainland which had the country split into three parts. Three kingdoms, three armies, three kings."

"Three?" asked Gameru. "Oh! Three! Just like in our names! Greeed!"

"So?" asked Uva, ignoring their childish comrade. "Before our time? Why should we care?"

"Because," Kazali grinned, raising a finger as if he were lecturing. "The war has been repeating over and over again since it ended for the first time. The souls of those warriors and soldiers have been stored into little beads called magatama. Whoever wears them gain not only that warrior's strength, but also their destiny. Or so I'm told anyway."

"A never-ending war?" asked Mezul. "Oh! Imagine the desires which have built up over all that time!"

"War is essentially desire at the extreme," Uva chuckled. "The strongest desires are running high and so many of them fighting for those desires to destroy their enemies. Heh. Just imagine if we get our hands on one of those warriors. Our Yummies would be stronger than ever before!"

"That's right," Kazali nodded. "Ankh has already immersed himself in this war, managing to snag a powerful champion to play the part of OOO. I suggest we do the same so to find the best desires to use in our own plans."

"Sounds fun!" Gameru smiled, clapping his hands.

"I agree!" Mezul giggled. "Seeing those cute little children destroy each other will be such a treat!"

Uva silently agreed with his fellow Greeed. However, since the best targets were supposedly in the middle of a war, it could mean that they were going to get killed ay any time. A sure risk in any kind of war, but if he guessed right then this was a secret war in which battles took place with barely anyone knowing it was happening. Assassinations would be common and could mean the difference between an average Yummy from an average fighter or a superior Yummy form a superior fighter. With that in mind, Uva promptly turned and headed for the exit."Well, I'm not going to waste any more time. I'm going to find the best warrior I can." Without so much as a 'goodbye' Uva vanished out of the door.

"He sure is ambitious," Kazali noted.

"Let him do what he wants for now," Mezul said, "Let's just see which of those cute kiddies would be best for the next host."

"Sounds good to me!" agreed Gameru.

"Well then!" Kazali rubbed his hands in anticipation. "It's time for a history lesson!"

* * *

**Greater Kanto**

Chouhi was in one of her favorite cafes once again after the meeting with Kanu and the others had ended. It was ultimately decided that as secretive as OOO was, she wouldn't possibly leave such an obvious lead to her identity as have her companion dressed in a Nanyo uniform. Honestly, who would be stupid enough to do that?

* * *

Elsewhere in Kanto, Hakufu sneezed in the middle of her meeting, getting spittle on Ankh who would give her a tongue lashing in response.

* * *

As much as Chouhi hated to admit it, she was feeling a little over her head. The shark monsters from that night had been kicking her ass even when she was teamed up with Kanu and Chou-un, both hailed as some of the greatest Fighters in Kanto. Whatever these things were, they could beat her up easily enough and that just got her ticked off.

Those things had kicked her to the curb like she was a novice, and what was worse they actually had the audacity to use Ryuubi as the source of their high birth rate. To Chouhi, that meant that whatever had used her leader to create them had managed to not only sneak into Seito while no one noticed, but also go to Ryubi in the library where she wasn't being protected at the time. That was a whole different can of worms that Chouhi was looking forward to dealing with when she got the chance. No one used their leader as some kind of puppet.

No one.

Growling, Chouhi chomped on some more cookies, hoping it would soothe her bad mood. The chocolate was as good as ever, but it didn't simmer her anger. Gulping down the last cookie, she reached for her pocket and produced the peacock coin she had been fiddling with all day. She knew that it was the key to something in the mystery of the monsters…she just didn't know what. Flipping the coin in her fingers, she stared at its surface.

"Just what are you?" she muttered. "Why did that glove guy want you so badly? What do you mean to him?"

CRASH!

Life halted for those in Kanto as the sounds of brutal fighting began to echo while people began to scream and run away. Chouhi was out of her seat in a flash, fearing that one of Seito's enemies was finally trying something to break the tentative peace which was going on. Not bothering to pay for her food, she dashed out the door to see if she could spot the source of the commotion. Viewing was hard at the moment since everyone seemed to be in a panic. She had to push through several terrified commuters before she managed to reach the main intersection of the district where the action apparently was.

The intersection was one of those big places with dozens of stores all around and lots of lounging space. Naturally, the Fighters of Seito used it as something of a common ground when they weren't in school. It was also big enough that lots of foot traffic went through and that meant that unless someone from an enemy school got creative in their travel routes, they would have to pass through the area and risk being recognized by Seito Fighters there.

Now it seemed that those same patrols of Seito Fighters were under attack by a black and green bug man of some kind. His was most covered in the metallic armor, save for his left arm and legs, but it didn't make the monster any less dangerous. Several of the Fighters Seito had fielded were lying on the ground, some unconscious and others groaning in pain but they were all injured to a severe degree. The last of the group which seemed coherent was gripped by his shirt in the bug monster's hands.

"Tell me!" it snapped. "Tell me who the strongest are in your war!"

"W-what war?" the obviously terrified Fighter sputtered.

"Don't lie to me!" the bug monster growled. "You wear a magatama! You are part of this war! Tell me who the strongest are!"

"Get away from him you freak!" Chouhi shouted as she pulled back her fist and charged in. Sensing her coming, the monster dropped the injured Fighter caught the fist in his own.

"Who are you?" the insect demanded. The monster seemed ready to attack her, but then its eyes trailed to the silver magatama dangling on her ear. "So you're involved with this war too. Tell me; are you one of the strongest?"

"Damn straight!" Chouhi shouted, pulling back her fist and moving to a stance. "I'm Chouhi Ekitoku, one of the three divas of Seito Private School!"

"Hmmm," the bug monster pondered, apparently analyzing her to see if she really was as strong as she claimed to be. It made the snackaholic feel like she were a piece of meat that was being put on display for buyers. It was a feeling she didn't like at all and gave her the feeling that the bug monster was looking for more than just a simple fight. That feeling just put Chouhi on edge, wanting to be ready for anything.

"You don't look that strong, but looks can be deceiving I suppose," the bug monster shrugged, raising his armored arm for a battle stance. "Let's see you uphold that claim!"

Chouhi and the monster charged at each other with explosive force. The brunette knew that she couldn't pull her punches against an opponent like this so she laid in with the same strength which could throw people atop buildings. The bug monster likewise didn't hold back, sending punches and slashes which cut through steel streetlights and smashed stone trash cans and benches upon impact. So far Chouhi was managed to avoid anything serious save for a few scratches or glancing blows, but she managed to graze her own target a few times despite the hits not being serious blows. However, she got the feeling that her opponent wasn't going at his best against her. He was analyzing her still, testing her strength, wanting to see if she was who she claimed she was.

That just began to make her temper boil.

"Not going to take me seriously, eh?" Chouhi snickered despite some of the stinging cuts she received.

"Should I?" asked the monster, showing absolutely no lack of breath or signs of fatigue from all of the swings he had been throwing at the girl or the blows he had received. "You're not lacking in strength for a human, but you still don't hold a candle against me."

"I'll show you!" Chouhi growled, lunging at the monster with her fist reared back. This time, she would put everything into her blow and smash this thing's rib cage in! On the off chance it survived, maybe she would be able to give her some answers about the shark monsters from before, OOO, and the silver coins.

"Ha!" the bug monster laughed, leaping straight into the air like a demented grasshopper. The sudden lack of target caused Chouhi to stumble and struggle to get her balance back. She did manage to get her footing enough so to turn and see where the monster had gone. However…

WHAM!

A massive weight crashed down on Chouhi with enough force to crater the ground and leave her in the middle of it. The Seito diva gagged as both air and blood was pushed out of her mouth, making her struggle for breath. Her limbs all felt numb from the attack striking her spine, making her subconsciously wonder if that's how paraplegics felt. Still conscious, she struggled for breath as she felt the weight on her back shift before removing itself. Footsteps in the rubble sounded off as the mummified feet of the bug monster stood in front of her.

"I'm surprised you just didn't snap in half from the blow," the monster chuckled. A hand gripped her shoulder and flipped her over so that she was looking up at the sky and the monster's face. The beast just analyzed her a bit more before clenching his hand for a second, then opened it to reveal one of the silver coins which the Seito girls had collected. Where had it-?

"Your desire should be something amazing," the beast chuckled, lowering the coin towards Chouhi's forehead. "I can't wait to see the Yummy it makes."

Chouhi felt a cold void open up in her forehead before the bug monster dropped the silver coin into it, making the girl stiffen up. Her insides suddenly felt like they were being compacted together into a single spot before a green and black void opened up in her abdomen. Managing to glance down, her horror began to grow as a white and gray mummy of all things crawled out of the void in her guts before stumbling onto the ground. The void in Chouhi's body thankfully closed, but it felt as if something had been removed.

"Get going," the bug monster ordered the mummy. "You know what to do."

"Nnnn," the mummy groaned before it began shambling away from the site. The bug monster looked down at Chouhi once more before snorting in amusement. It then turned its back and left in a different direction, leaving Chouhi to lie in the middle of the crater with rock, blood, and saliva being her only companions.

* * *

**Nanyo**

"So, how exactly can we tell if a Yummy is attacking?" Gakushu asked Ankh once the mess had subsided.

"I can detect when a Yummy is active by sensing the Cell Medals it creates," he said, leaning on the wall. That is only if it is close to maturing. By then, it will have plenty of Medals to give away."

*_Jingle! Jingle! Jingle_*

Ankh stiffened, and then grinned. "And now it's time for a party!"

"Pardon?" Saji blinked.

"Is there another Yummy attacking?" Ryomou asked.

"You bet it is!" Ankh said, marching out the door. "It's time to work!"

"Gotcha Ankh-chan!" Hakufu called, following her possessed cousin. The pair raced around Nanyo and out the front gates. As expected, a pair of Ride Vendor machines was present and waiting to be used. Hakufu produced a Cell Medal, part of her 'allowance' while Ankh used one of his own. Both quickly activated the machines and put them into motorcycle mode. Grabbing their helmets, the pair mounted the machines and took off down the street.

As the two vanished down the street, Ryomou, Gakushu, and Saji reached the front gates, having followed at a more sedate pace.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm feeling the urge to follow," Saji grinned. "After hearing all the hype, I want to see OOO in action."

"You'll get your chance," Ryomou replied. Reaching into a blouse pocket, she produced a pair of Cell Medals which were etched with the effigies of a scorpion and a grasshopper.

"Where did you get those?" asked Gakushu. "Ankh treats them like they're worth their weight in gold."

"I scooped them up after the Yummy at Kyosho was destroyed," Ryomou answered. It had been easy since everyone else was distracted by the destruction of the Panther Yummy and Ankh had his back turned, getting the Takacans he needed together."I've only got a few and I'm not going to waste them. Hakufu's our leader and it's our duty to watch her back. I sure don't trust Ankh to do it."

"True," Gakushu agreed while Saji gave a nod. "But we're going to need one of those vending machines to make it work and the only two next to Nanyo just took off."

"I know where another is," Ryomou replied, her battle voice growing.

The three generals of Nanyo quickly left the property with Ryomou taking the lead. They only travelled a bit before ending up at the local convenience store which the cheaper students would buy their lunches and even dinners. Right next to the entrance of the building was a pair of the black vending machines with the Candroids on display.

"Makes sense why Mou-chan would know these were here," Saji snickered. He could always count on one of his lady friends to give him something they made while Gakushu had some considerable change saved up from all of his part-time jobs so he could easily afford the good stuff that the cafeteria dished out. Ryomou on the other hand lived by herself and when she did find the odd job, she would save her money almost religiously and this store was known for being cheap.

"Just for that, you have to ride with Gakushu," Ryomou replied, tossing the grasshopper-marked Cell Medal to Saji. Walking up to the first machine, she slipped the scorpion Cell Medal inside before slapping a button.

"**TAKACAN!**"

The red can popped out of the flap where Ryomou grabbed it. Fishing out another Cell Medal, this one marked with a rhino, she dropped it into the machine and activated its transformation. Saji did the same for his machine, copying Ryomou.

"Let's go," the bluenette spoke, mounting her machine. She then took the red can and activated its mechanics, turning it into its robot form. It tweeted and looked to Ryomou. "Take us to Hakufu," was her short order. The machine gave off a cry and took off down the road. Ryomou wordlessly gunned the engine and took off down the road. Saji at the handles of the second machine followed with Gakushu riding shotgun behind him.

* * *

Chouhi breathed hard and gritted her teeth as she slowly pulled herself out of the crater. Finally reaching the edge, she slumped to the ground. She couldn't believe how easily she had been taken down. Compared to those shark monsters the other day, the bug monster was a thuggish brute but it easily overpowered those fish freaks, even if they were to attack en masse she wouldn't bet on them with her last Yen. It was bad enough that it didn't take her seriously, but the fact that it had the power to back up its arrogance was even worse. What freaked her out even more was that somehow it made a mummy from her innards with another one of those silver coins. How did that happen?

"Chouhi!" she heard a voice called. Raising up her heard just enough, she saw her tallest friend running up to her with a look of heavy concern on her face.

"K-Kanu?" Chouhi managed to let out. "How did… you find out?"

"One of our Fighters called me and told me what was going on," the undefeated Fighter explained, putting the first-year's arm around her shoulder. "Where is that bug monster now?"

"He left as soon as he curb-stomped me!" Chouhi growled painfully, stumbling to her feet. "But before he bailed, he dropped one of those silver coins into my head and made some mummy crawl out of my body!"

"A mummy crawled out of your body?" Kanu blinked in disbelief.

"I'm not making this up!" Chouhi insisted. "It felt like a part of me was being ripped away! The bug guy told it that it knows what to do and then they both left."

Kanu frowned at this information. First Gentoku, then Kakoton of Kyosho, and now Chouhi had become a victim of one of those monster attacks. Who was behind all of this? Who was picking them out to create these creatures? What were they really after?

Looking to the corner, she saw some ruckus going on in the nearby café. "Seems like the mummy didn't get too far."

"Great, we need to call for backup," Chouhi hissed, now more vexed that her favorite hangout was being messed with. "All of our portal offices are out of action! We have to get help!"

"Right," Kanu nodded, reaching for her cell phone. Just as she was about to flip it opened, the sound of motorcycles caught their attention. Turning to their left, they saw two helmeted Nanyo students approaching the café.

"Guess I was right about Nanyo knowing what's going on," Chouhi muttered.

"Looks like it," Kanu nodded. "Perhaps now we can get answers." Gripping her arm around her friend's waist, she walked to closer to the café, careful not to be seen by the two Nanyo Fighters.

Removing their helmets, Hakufu and Ankh parked their bikes next to the café and ran inside. There, they saw the White Yummy stuffing itself with cookies, cakes and all sorts of junk food. It had all been inside the refrigerated display case that the café used to show its menu. However, the plastic didn't stop the Yummy if the smashed front was any indication. It grabbed a slice of cheesecake and stuffed it in its mouth, chewing it thoroughly before it swallowed with a loud gulp. It went at a pace which would leave professional eaters green with envy, but it was somewhat of a disgusting display just the same.

"Wow… what a glutton," Hakufu blanched.

"Looks like one of Uva's work. And this one seems to have been made from the desire for junk food," Ankh grunted.

After gulping down a large quantity of cookies, it let out a disgusting belch as it stood up and rubbed its stomach, "I'm…full." Then its skin started to crack up and explode in green flames, causing the pair to shield their faces. As the flames subsided, they saw the Yummy in its evolved form.

This Yummy had grayish-white skin with muscled arms and legs which was covered in strings of silk. Its armored body looked very flexible, as if it could stretch and twist in anyway. The tips of his fingers had black nails. Its eyes were green with cross shaped pupils while its face seemed humanoid and the color of ivory, but its chin split out into a pair of black mandibles, matched in the gross factor by the large pair of bulbous eyes on the sides of its head where its temples would be.

"And yet…" the Silkworm Yummy growled, "I'm still hungry!"

With a snarl, the Yummy leaped at the pair with more than a little lethal intent. Hakufu and Ankh ducked to the sides, letting the Yummy sail past them and smash through the front window. When it hit the pavement though, it didn't stop but instead bounced like a rubber ball before flipping in the air and landing on its feet. The sight alone caused Hakufu to blink in confusion, honestly not expecting such an odd recovery.

**SMACK!**

"Ow!" Hakufu cried, having received a kaijin-powered slap to the back of the head. "Ankh-chan! That hurt!"

"Then pay attention!" Ankh snapped back before bringing the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals out of his true arm. "Now go get some Cell Medals."

"Right!" Hakufu nodded, taking the three Core Medals. Dashing out of the cafe, she faced the Silkworm Yummy as it seemed to stare almost hungrily at her. Still, the blonde didn't let it faze her as she drew the OOO Driver and attached it to her waist. Slotting in the three Medals, she took the O Scanner with practiced ease and swiped it across. "Henshin!"

"**TAKA! TORA! BATTA!**"

"**TA-TO-BA TATOBA TA-TO-BA!**"

The three Medals formed in the air before converging on Hakufu and forming the armor of OOO. With proper battle attire formed, OOO walked out of the café and stared down the Silkworm Yummy, but she immediately noticed something different. The Yummy had shifted into a battle stance. That wasn't too weird since all Yummies fought in their own way, but what made OOO notice this Yummy's battle stance was that it was a tried and true martial arts stance. She didn't recognize it, but she could tell it was martial arts since the stance was firm and structured. It was maybe a little off since the Yummy's body was so bulky and squishy, but it definitely spoke power. Even someone like her could tell that much.

Charging forward, OOO threw her fist at the Yummy but it used its forearm to block before knocking OOO back with an open palm strike, sending her staggering. It then unleashed a combo of rapid kicks, striking her fast and hard as she was forced on the defensive. She ducked under a kick to her head and threw her fist, only for her blow to bounce off the Yummy's body. "Huh?" she blinked. The Yummy capitalized on this distraction and struck OOO so hard she crashed against the side of a car.

"Itai…" OOO groaned and the Silkworm Yummy spat out a thick string of silk that wrapped around the Kamen Rider. She was then swung through the air and bashed against a streetlamp, a bench (splitting it in half), another car and onto the ground painfully. It then swung her around and around, making her dizzy and ill before smashing her against the car, again. The hood was crushed by the impact as OOO felt herself getting dizzy.

The Yummy stalked towards her and hovered over the armored girl. It then reached down towards the OOO Driver which contained her Core Medals that its master coveted.

"Let! GO!" OOO shouted, kicking the Yummy in the face, making it stumble backwards from the impact. Broken free from the monster's grip, OOO slid off the car hood albeit a bit wobbly since she was still dizzy. The world was spinning, making it hard to be sure if she was looking straight or leaning to the side. "Woooo…"

"Get your head in the game!" Ankh snapped.

"I'm…wooo…trying!" OOO shot back hesitatingly.

Chouhi and Kanu were still present, watching the whole fight. While it did not appear to be OOO' finest moment in battle, the fact was far from the mind from Chouhi. Her eyes were riveted on the Silkworm Yummy both out of disgust for how it looked, but also for how it was fighting. Move for move its style of fighting was…

"Just like me," she gasped, growing pale. "Kanu…it's fighting just like I do…"

"Are you sure?" asked Kanu, staring at the fight so to try and commit everything to memory for a report. "You never fight so-"

**WHAM!** The Yummy smashed the front of the car behind OOO, whom flipped out of the way from its latest attack.

"…savagely," the taller girl winced.

"I know how I fight Kanu," Chouhi retorted.

"Damn it!" cursed Ankh. He then produced a green Core Medal. "Oi, take this!" He tossed it through the air and OOO spotted it before catching it in her hand. She replaced the Tora Medal with it and took the O Scanner before swiping it across her tilted buckle.

"**TAKA! KAMAKIRI! BATTA!**"

Now armed with the Kamakiri Swords, OOO roared and swiped at the Yummy with them. This time the blades were able to cut through and as a result Cell Medals began to spill out of the Silkworm Yummy's open wounds. It spat a string of silk at her but with her Kamakiri Swords she was able to slice the string to ribbons. Leaping high, she started to kick at the monster, sending it staggering, before slashing it across the chest from both sides. It stumbled back from the impact, Cell Medals bleeding out of it.

"OK, let's finish this," said OOO as she took her O Scanner. Just as she was about to perform a Scanning Charge, a fist slammed against her face and knocked her aside before she was slashed in the chest, causing sparks to fly and the middle section of her chest armor to flicker between green and grey. Landing hard on her back, OOO groaned before looking up to see a familiar green and black insect-like face.

"Uva!" Ankh realized.

"Hello OOO," the Greeed spoke, ignoring Ankh. "You have something that I want."

OOO grunted before she kicked the ground as to slide away from her newest opponent before jumping to her feet. Gripping her swords, she took a kneeling stance and prepared for another go. She wasn't expecting to go up against Uva again anytime soon, but now that she was, she was going to have to tough it out.

"You're not getting away this time OOO," Uva snickered, slowly approaching while preparing his bladed arm. "I made sure to use the desire of one of these punks in their little magatama war. Strong fighters, strong desires. Heh. Makes sense why the last Yummy I made managed to get so big so quick. Feasting on desire alone should take a lot longer unless I made the Yummy to do that."

OOO remained silent as she tried to figure out how she should fight. Uva was definitely powerhouse by himself and if she was lucky, a solid strike would be able to drive him off. However, Uva didn't strike her as the kind of guy who would make the same mistake twice. She had to sucker punch him the first time, followed by probably one of the strongest punches she had just to do the same. This time, she was pretty sure it wouldn't work again. Add the Yummy behind him able to plow through stuff like it was tissue paper and things were not looking good.

Uva dashed towards her and aimed for a punch but she ducked under his swing and slashed with her swords. Uva grunted as Cell Medals bled out of the wound. However, the wound was shallow, closing up quickly with only a few Medals spilling out. A flesh wound. The Silkworm Yummy of course dashed over to support its master and kicked OOO hard in the back. She staggered forward and turned only to be hit rapidly with several punches that came at her like machinegun rounds and then Uva swiped at her chest, causing her to shout as the Kamakiri Medal was expelled from the OOO Driver. Not only did OOO tumble along the ground from the force of the blow, but with one of the Core Medals ejected from the OOO Driver she was forced back into her civilian identity.

"OOO is… Hakufu Sonsaku?" Kanu gaped, eyes wide.

"Sonsaku?" Chouhi blinked, looking at her friend. "You mean the new leader of Nanyo? That Sonsaku?"

Despite the vulnerability, Uva simply ignored the dizzy Sho Hao in favor of picking up the Kamakiri Medal which had rolled near his feet. "Finally, I got it back." Looking at OOO, his eyes seemed to radiate smugness. He clenched the Kamakiri Medal in his mummified hand before flicking it as if it were part of a coin toss. As the Medal came down, Uva caught it in his hand, creating a green flash. Immediately as the Medal was absorbed into his skin, Cell Medals began to sink out of his skin but instead stuck to him. More and more Medals piled on top of one another before a green aura fused them all together, forming the armor which Uva had lost during his last encounter with OOO.

"Oi, Hakufu!" Ankh shouted as he tossed two Core Medals to her. She caught them. One was the Kuwagata Medal while the other was the Gorilla Medal. Knowing what she had to do she replaced the Taka Medal with the Kuwagata Medal and then slid the Gorilla Medal into the empty slot in the centre before scanning them. "Don't get cocky! Uva's got a huge portion of his power back with that one Medal!"

"Right! Henshin!"

"**KUWAGATA! GORILLA! BATTA!**"

Now back as OOO armed with the Kuwagata Head, Gorilla Arms, and the Batta Legs she charged up her attack and unleashed bolts of lightning at Uva and the Silkworm Yummy. Then, she smashed her fists down upon the ground, causing it to shake with a tremor to knock the two monsters off balance. Slamming the Gorilla Arms together, she then aimed them at Uva and the Silkworm Yummy before firing her gauntlets like missiles, knocking them down with explosive force.

"Wow!" OOO gasped. Although the power of the armor gave her the idea, she still felt like it wouldn't have worked.

"Ugh!" Uva groaned as he struggled to his feet. "Figures the one Medal Gameru would lose would be one like that." Snarling, he looked up at OOO. She had the advantage with a Medal like that in terms of offense. Likewise defense was on her side thanks to the toughness Gameru's Medals afforded. Sure the legs and head were still viable targets, but his own Medals offered flexibility along with power. Thankfully it wasn't Kazali's or else the job would be that much harder.

"Fine, I can wait," Uva growled. "I got one back. It's only a matter of time before I get the others."

With a final bellow, Uva unleashed green lighting from his horns, creating a smokescreen. It passed soon enough, but Uva and the Yummy were gone. All the trace that remained was the blackened marks on the road from Uva's attack.

"Oh man," Hakufu sighed, setting her buckle and removing the coins. The armor vanished in a heartbeat, leaving her tired and sore with the OOO Driver in one hand and the Medals in the other.

"BAKA!" Ankh's voice bellowed across the street. Hakufu turned to face the angry face of her cousin in Ankh's use. The angry Greeed stomped up to Hakufu and grabbed the Medals from her hand. "Do you have ANY idea how difficult it was to grab that Medal in our tomb? Now Uva has it back and he's going to be more dangerous than ever! If anything, it's going to make the others come after you that much harder, and me as well!"

"How the heck was I supposed to know that Uva-chan would be here?" Hakufu retorted. "They both double teamed me! Sure I could fight a whole bunch of Fighters, but Yummy and Greed together are just too hard!"

"Well that doesn't matter now!" Ankh huffed. "All you've done was make him more ambitious! It will only be a matter of time before he comes back for the rest of his Medals! Cripes, what did I do to end up with such a stupid girl?"

"Why you-!"

An irritated grunt halted their argument. Turning to the side, they saw none other than Kanu glaring at them. The folded arms and taping foot said that she meant business.

"Uh…" Hakufu smiled nervously. "L-long time no see, Kanu."

"That is has," Kanu arched an eyebrow. "So, you're OOO?"

"Eh heh heh heh," the blonde chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her head.

Ankh rolled his eyes at the new girl, obviously another one of the Fighters that liked to raise hell around the district. Their constant interfering with his business really tried his patience, "This isn't any of your business girl, so do yourself a favor and walk away right now."

"Is that a threat?" Kanu asked, her eye narrowing on Ankh.

"Oh boy," Hakufu gulped.

"More like a warning," Ankh retorted, uncaring of Hakufu's nervousness. He didn't see Kanu Unchou, one of the top fighters in Kanto; he just saw another upstart human trying to play big fish when the pond was in fact an ocean filled with predators. Albeit one who had strange ideas on how to wear clothes, but that didn't faze Ankh. "You have no part in this. Walk away."

Kanu's eyes were trained on Ankh, looking for a treat. Well, more specifically on the red hand which was covering his own. Kanu recognized Kokin easily enough, having seen him a few times when she had to take on Nanyo fighters before Totaku became such a huge threat that he united near every school against him. He was a nice enough fellow and was respectful to both her and her rank. However, his heart wasn't in fighting her that day, which made sense since at the time Nanyo was split between 'Enjyutsu's' new regime and how things were run before. Kokin was part of the latter while the group Kanu had dealt with was part of the former who thought it was time Seito went down before they became any more powerful.

The Kokin she met then and the one glaring at her now were as different as night and day. She wasn't fooled by the face and knew that the new arm he sported had something to do with it, "I'd ask who you think you are, but I know you'd probably feed me some lie about being Kokin. So let's just avoid the lies and get straight to the matter. Part of Seito was attacked twice now both personally, and in its territory by these monsters. I think it's high time we learn what we're dealing with."

"Hell no!" Ankh snapped, swinging his red arm down. He didn't get too far when Hakufu sent a chop to his head. "OW! Damn it!"

"Forget it Ankh-chan," Hakufu sighed. "She's too smart for us. Besides, at least Seito deservers to know about the Greeed."

The sounds of motorcycles approached, prompting Hakufu to look to the source. A pair of bikes, one with a girl and another with two boys, rode into the square before coming to a halt in front of the trio.

"Oh boy," Saji shrugged, removing his helmet, "Looks like we were late for the party."

Ryomou removed her helmet along with Gakushu and eyed Kanu. "Nice to see you Kanu."

"Likewise," Kanu nodded. "So, which one of you would like to tell me what's going on? That white bug thing came from Chouhi. She said that the black insect used one of those strange silver coins to do it. If the leader of Nanyo is going around in a suit of armor fighting these things, then obviously Nanyo itself would know about this outbreak."

"Right, right," Saji waved his hand. "Let's just get to some place safe so we can give you the lowdown."

"Great," Ankh grumbled. "How many more annoying humans must I deal with?"

* * *

Meanwhile on the flight to Kanto, the blond girl sneezed.

* * *

**Kanto General Hospital**

Meeting together in the 'neutral' territory of the hospital, Kanu and the top five for Nanyo (technically four and one Greeed) were meeting inside Chouhi's hospital room as the snackaholic was admitted for the brutal beating she was given. The doctors said Chouhi had taken a pretty bad beating, but she would recover if she rested and took it easy with extra care not to strain her back. So with Chouhi in a hospital bed, complete with a gown, she and Kanu were intent on getting answers from Hakufu and her Big Four. Normally Kanu may have been concerned with the numbers, especially with Ryomou being with them. Despite not believing in the fates of the Fighters, the first Ryomou had been the one to kill the first Kanu and had done such ever since. However, this situation had nothing to do with the war and was now dealing with things that had never been seen before in the history of the Fighters.

The one possessing Kokin, Ankh, was revealed to be a Greeed. He was one of five such creatures who had been released from their tomb several days ago, resulting in the explosion of one of the local art galleries which the authorities assumed to be the work of thieves. Save for Ankh, the Greeed were capable of creating monsters called Yummies by using the silver coins, Cell Medals, which composed their bodies. OOO's main source of power was using Core Medals, the colored coins which were likewise the source of power of the Greeed. All of the information was nerve-wracking to say the least but Chouhi seemed to take the second element needed to create Yummies worse than the others.

"So…," she began. "This Yummy that Uva made was from my desires?"

"Yes," Ankh huffed, tired of telling the story over and over again. "Your desire turns out to be your love for snacks and sweets. Uva seems to think that since you all are embroiled in the middle of your little war your desires will be that much stronger since you're practically living in a war."

"He'd be right," Ryomou muttered. "The fighting gets so bad sometimes the back alley brawls can turn into death matches and assassinations happen in the middle of the street. "

"And as a result, our desires for what pleasures we can have get that much stronger since we don't know when we would die," Saji nodded. He of all people knew that since he used to be a spy for Totaku, who had been known for going between pleasant to bloodthirsty in a heartbeat, going so far as to mutilate himself if no enemies were around. It was part of the reason why he was such a womanizer, fearing that he could be found out and killed no matter how well he hid his tracks.

"Which makes the perfect Yummy building material," Kanu finished. "Judging from how this Yummy fought like Chouhi, albeit without her restraint or discipline, the Yummies gain skills from the people they are spawned from," she glanced at the possessed boy. "Is that normal?"

"Well, we generally didn't try to make Yummies from warriors or people in high positions since that would have brought an army down on the five of us before we were ready," Ankh shrugged. "But Yummies do sometimes gain qualities from the people they spawn from. However, that usually just came to mean more intelligence, the ability to speak, maybe some better ideas on stealth or how to use certain kinds of weapons better but if the skill didn't help in pursuit of our goals then they wouldn't be used. I'd have wagered a few Cell Medals that the Yummy Uva made from the womanizer here would have been able to flirt or something like that."

"Which means that Yummies made from Fighters, especially the top ones, may or may not pick up any specials skills the people they come from have," Gakushu frowned. "Not good."

"So just what are we going to do about it then?" asked Chouhi.

"What do you mean 'we'?" asked Ankh, raising an eyebrow. "Near as I can figure, only Hakufu and I are really able to do anything about it. The rest of you are just dead weight."

"Hey!" Chouhi snapped back. "In case you haven't noticed pal, we're not your average school kids! We've been fighting for our lives out here and-!"

"You're still just humans," the Greeed retorted. "Let me tell you something about humans. You're frail, you're weak, and you're corruptible via mind, body, and soul. We Greeed prey on those weaknesses and avenues of corruption and turn them into our minions who will destroy anyone and anything that get in their way. A Yummy never stops until we tell it to stop. It may back off, but only to look for a better way to get what it wants. I'll concede that you aren't the average human stock, but you're still human and share the weaknesses of the species as a whole."

"Ankh-chan, right now you're just as human as we are," Hakufu reminded.

"And that's why I want to get my body as soon as possible!" Ankh snapped. "This squishy human body is beneath me!"

"And how do we know you won't turn on us?" Kanu asked. She had the same impression Ryomou had on the disembodied Greeed and that was distrust. Ankh, unlike them, had no loyalty to anyone but himself. He wasn't even loyal to his own kind. The only reason he was sticking by Hakufu was that she was OOO and could help him gain more Cell Medals and Core Medals.

"Who knows?" Ankh shrugged. "We'll cross the bridge when we get there."

Needless to say, no one was pleased by that reply. However, it was more or less expected and at the very least, Ankh was being honest in not being one to trust. Of course, that could just mean once the other Greeed were dealt with, he'd be the next big threat.

"So what was that deal with Uva's arm?" asked Chouhi. "It looked mummified but after he got one of those Core Medals it was suddenly covered in black armor."

"Core Medals are the source of our power," Ankh replied, feeling like he was talking to small children with the way that pestered him for information. "We may have revived that day we escaped from the tomb, but since we don't have all of our Core Medals, we're incomplete. We can only manifest so much of ourselves. The others had more than enough to have actual bodies, but access to their full power is restricted. You can tell since they haven't manifested their entire bodies yet. Uva got one step closer by snagging that Kamakiri Medal from Hakufu, reclaiming one ninth of his power."

"And no more GataKiriBa Combo for us either," Hakufu pouted.

"No use crying over spilled milk though," Saji reminded his leader. "The big question we have to ask now is what is Uva going to do now?"

"At this point, there are only two things I can think of," Ryomou answered. "Ankh says that the powers of the Greeed require Cell Medals to use, even if the Core Medals are the source. If Uva can't get Core Medals, then he's going to make sure that Yummy's so stuffed with Cell Medals, it'll be a smorgasbord for him and the other Greeed when he decides he needs them."

"Which means in this case, it'll go for all of the snack shops and cafes which specialize in such things it can reach," Gakushu nodded. "The question then is where will it start?"

"Well…that thing's based off my desires, right?" asked Chouhi. "It'll probably hit my favorite cafes and stores first. I have a whole bunch of different places I like to go to since they all specialize in different kinds or just have better prices for my favorite snacks."

"Alright," Kanu nodded. "Then we need a list of all those areas."

"See how working with others helps Ankh-chan?" asked Hakufu with a smile.

"Hmph!" the Greeed crossed his arms.

* * *

**Seito**

Chou-un leaned against the wall near the library exit as once again Ryuubi was buried inside her numerous books. One would have thought that with the incident with those shark monsters, the bespectacled leader would have at least given it a rest, but instead she was right back at it. At least she was doing it in moderation, not becoming too enraptured with her books to the point of ignoring just about everything else. She was actually paying attention to her surroundings for a change and was able to tell if or when someone was approaching her.

'_Perhaps something good did come out of that situation,_' the silver-haired girl pondered as she listened for signs of anything odd. As she continued her vigil, she suddenly heard the doors from one of the nearby stairwells slam shut. She knew it was one of those doors in particular since they were made of metal rather the softer materials which made up the classroom doors. Kanu was out on patrol while Chouhi had some off time. Class was still in session and none such classes were near the library. Either some late student was taking the long way around to avoid teachers looking for truants, or someone was trying to be sneaky. Frowning, she tightened her grip on her katana and turned to her leader. "Ryuubi, stay here."

"Hm?" Ryuubi blinked. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't know yet," was the swordswoman's reply.

Opening the door to the library, Chou-un stepped out. Since the halls were empty at the time, footsteps were able to echo slightly, which was more than loud enough for her to hear. She clearly heard shoes sounding off against the tiled floors, but something else was walking at the same time. Soft padding was following the footsteps, along with an odd tapping noise. She wasn't sure what it was, but it reminded her of the times when she or one of the others would tap their fingernails on tables or countertops when they were waiting for something. She also began catching a musky scent in the air; it was very faint, but unmistakable.

The footsteps came closer and Chou-un popped her sword out of its sheathe with her thumb. Whoever was coming, they were not a student of Seito and they were not alone. As the footsteps became closer as did the padding, Chou-un drew her sword in its entirety, waiting for the possible enemy.

Indeed the new arrival to Seito came around the corner. He was tall for his age and muscled. He wasn't as large or as muscled as one like Gakushu, but he was in the same league, matching Kanu's height at least. He wore a white button up shirt that had the top buttons undone with a green tie hanging over his shoulders. Peeking out from behind the shirt on the left side of his chest were black markings likely a tattoo. He had a black jacket slung over his shoulder and a pair of blue pants to complete his uniform, as scruffy as it was. His features were definitely that of a less than stellar student. His black hair was shoulder length, but definitely messy, as if something had made a nest in it. His eyes were a vibrant blue and he had an easy smirk on his mouth with a toothpick sticking out from his lips. Lastly there was a bronze magatama hanging from his right ear.

What was most bizarre about this new fighter was the fact that he had a fully grown bear obediently following alongside of him. It was of average size for bears, meaning that it could kill a regular person should it be put in the right mood. The only identifying mark on the entire bear was a white patch of fur underneath its neck.

If Chou-un's eyes were open, she would have blinked in shock. Was she hearing right? There was indeed an animal next to the Fighter in front of her, but it was much too big to be a dog of any kind. It was likewise too bulky to be a tiger even. Considering the breathing and the bulk she estimated from the steps, she was looking at a bear travelling next to the Fighter before her.

"Judging by the hair and the weapon, you'd be the silver-haired swordswoman Chou-un Shiryuu, correct?" the male Fighter asked, quite unashamedly roving his eyes over Chou-un's figure, taking in every physical attribute she had, especially her sizable breasts.

"I am," Chou-un nodded, already knowing that the Fighter was eyeing her up, but since he wasn't making any perverted comments and the fact that she may end up fighting him she'd not make a comment for the moment. "And who are you?"

Taking the toothpick from his mouth, the Fighter answered, "My name's Shamoku, the leader of Teikoku Academy. A supporting school of Seito."

"Ah, the Barbarian King," Chou-un nodded, slowly sheathing her blade. "Despite being only a C-ranked Fighter and relatively untrained, your raw power and natural talent allows you to fight on the level of A-rank Fighters who are trained. The Fighters under your rule have been very helpful for Seito's battles."

"You know of me," Shamoku grinned as he and his pet bear approached at a relaxing pace. "I'm flattered."

"When someone like you gets into a fight, everyone notices," Chou-un answered. "What are you doing here? I wasn't aware that Seito was having a meeting of allies."

Shamoku's face turned solemn, losing the confident grin at the swordswoman's question, "I heard Seito was attacked by some kind of weird monsters a few days ago. I dropped by Seito the day after I heard it happened and found it wrecked. It kinda got me mad so I went looking for any sort of lead if only to bust some heads. Turned up a big fat nothing. Now that I know Ryuu-chan's here, I want to make sure she's okay."

'_Ryuu-chan?_' Chou-un thought with some slight surprise. "Ryuubi is fine and well. Seito has recovered from the assault and we're still trying to figure out just what happened."

"Hn," Shamoku sighed, replacing his toothpick. "I'm not questioning your honesty Chou-un, but I'd really rather hear that from Ryuu-chan herself. She and I have been friends for years and I'd like to see with my own eyes that she's healthy and safe."

Chou-un took in Shamoku's argument before she decided that allowing him to see Ryuubi would be allowable. His tone of voice spoke of honestly in regards to his feelings for Ryuubi's safety. Nodding silently, she turned and headed for the library doors, allowing Shamoku and his pet to follow. The two made their way inside with the bear in two before the doors shut behind then, alerting the bespectacled brunette to the appearance of someone.

"Who was it Chou…" Ryuubi asked as she looked up, but she trailed off when she spotted Shamoku and his bear. Her eyes widened in surprise as her jaw dropped slightly.

"Hey Ryuu-chan," Shamoku grinned. "It's been a while."

Ryuubi was stunned into silence for a moment, just gaping at the Fighter and his bear. However, that quickly ended, "Sham-chan!" the leader of Seito squealed before she was out of her chair and dashing across the room before impacting against the tall boy with a glomp which could find a home of the Richter scale. Shamoku easily caught her and returned the embrace, allowing Ryuubi to babble on and on, "I missed you! I missed you! I missed yoooooou!"

"Missed you too Ryuu-chan" Shamoku chuckled, setting the excitable leader down.

"And Kuma-chan's gotten so big!" Ryuubi gasped, kneeling down to the bear and hugging its neck. The animal certainly didn't seem to mind the affection and even seemed to enjoy it. "He was just a cub when I last saw him! Ooooh, he's still so cute!"

Chou-un was a little concerned about her leader being so close to the bear, but the beast was proving to be docile so far. She was a little surprised to see such a large beast so well trained, but here it was in front of her. What was more surprising was seeing how Ryuubi and Shamoku were acting around one another. Granted Ryuubi was a very friendly person who was open with people. Someone like Shamoku being so friendly with Ryuubi was the surprising part. It completely went against the character she would have applied to someone like him.

"Yeah, it's been a while," Shamoku grinned. Ryuubi quickly stood up so to look at her friend properly, smiling as brightly as one could. "I heard about what happened out here. You okay Ryuu-chan?"

"Oh yes!" Ryuubi smiled. "OOO-sama was the one who rescued me!"

"OOO?"

"The newest mystery out here and Ryuubi's new crush," Chou-un smiled.

"Chou-un!" Ryuubi whined, blushing brightly.

"Oh, finally noticed men eh?" Shamoku chuckled. "Well with your deadly weapons he'll be putty in your hands," he finished with a grin, pointing at Ryuubi's chest.

"You're both mean!" Ryuubi mumbled, her face a lovely shade of scarlet.

* * *

**KAMEN RIDER CHROME: Everything will be resolved in the next chapter, don't worry. Until then, please show your full support. We'll see the OOO gang going after the Yummy and maybe, just maybe, new Core Medals.**

**CORE MEDALS GAINED: None.**

**CORE MEDALS LOST: Kamakiri Medal (regained by Uva).**


	6. Chapter 6

We do not own Kamen Rider OOO or Ikki Tousen. They belong to their respective creators and this work of Fanfiction is for recreation and amusement purposes only.

**OOO MEDALS OF IKKI TOUSEN**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome**

**Edited by Shadow Element 13**

**Original idea: Talismo4ever**

**Chapter 6: Of More Sweets, More Medals, and a Little Sister**

* * *

**Previously…**

It was another day in Kanto when another Yummy went on the loose, this time spawned from Chouhi. Once Hakufu got the word, she and Ankh trespassed into Seito's territory to deal with the beast, only for Uva to interfere and take back his Kamakiri Medal. After the Nanyo leader managed to drive both the Greeed and his ward away, she and her bodyguards gave Kanu and Chouhi, who were now aware of the Booby Bomb's exploits, a full explanation of the current situation. With a new alliance set with a new comment enemy to deal, the Fighters of Nanyo and Seito set out to hunt down the Yummy before it grew into something too big for even them to handle.

* * *

**Hospital**

The group of Fighters from Seito and Nanyo exited the hospital with a new sense of purpose. Chouhi was still in recovery after Uva literally curb-stomped her so the only ones left were Kanu, Hakufu, Ryomou, Gakushu, Saji, and Ankh. With the newest Yummy having come from Chouhi, it would be going after all of the kinds of snacks which the short-haired girl would go for when she got the chance. Likely the Yummy would be going to the same kind of places which Chouhi would frequent when she would get the chance.

"Girl likes her snacks, doesn't she?" asked Saji, reading over the list of cafes and little restaurants which the tiger general would go to. The list filled the better portion of a page.

"Chouhi's always been like that," Kanu sighed, eyeing her own copy of the list. "I just didn't think she would get around this much."

"How does she stay so thin?" Hakufu wondered, staring at the list in curiosity.

"All the fighting she does must work out all the fat. At least that's what I figure," Kanu shrugged.

"We're wasting time," Ankh grumbled. "We have to track that Yummy down."

"Isn't that your job?" glared Kanu. She'd been told that Ankh could sense Yummy due to their Cell Medals.

"It's 'off the radar' as you humans say," said Ankh. "But I have an idea." He took out not Kokin's regular cell phone, but a top of the line iPhone 4. Flipping through the screens, he glanced at Kanu, "You**;** alert everyone in your territory and tell them to report about _anything_ strange."

Hakufu quirked an eyebrow at the new phone Ankh held, "Wait, when did you get one of those?"

"Bought it when that wench you call a mother made me buy groceries. This body had some extra money lying around so I decided to put it to good use. It leagues better than the one he had before," Ankh replied.

"Ankh-chan! That was Kokin's money!" Hakufu snapped.

"I'm using his body so anything he has belongs to me now," Ankh shrugged.

Before Hakufu could argue some more, Kanu brought up her hand and clamped the blonde's mouth shut so she could speak, "Just what am I supposed to say to the other fighters of Seito? Besides the ones who fought Uva, none of them are going to believe this."

"Yeah, most of us from Nanyo aren't going to take it seriously either," Saji frowned, his hands in his pockets.

"Just get the message across and tell them to keep their eyes peeled," Ankh frowned. "Don't be specific. Just let them report anything which is out of the ordinary. Get pictures of it if they can."

"Simple enough," Gakushu nodded. "We'd better spread out and start looking for that Yummy before it starts to stock up on more Cell Medals."

"Use this," Ryomou said, tossing a green dormant Candroid to Kanu. She caught it quirked an eyebrow. She easily recognized the brand as the kind which the students of Seito would drink from time to time. She never really took a liking to them herself and was rather confused why Ryomou would just hand one over like it was supposed to help.

"This isn't a time to be getting thirsty," the exotic girl said.

"Just open it," Ryomou retorted.

Still wary, Kanu pulled on the tab. Instantly, it shape shifted into its active Batta form, taking Kanu by surprise.

"What is this?" she blinked, finding the little machine to be absolutely adorable.

"It's a walkie-talkie that we can use to keep in touch," Ryomou answered. "They're much faster to use than our cell phones."

Blinking, Kanu watched as the machine flipped and transformed back into a regular can again. Frowning, she tucked the small machine away for safekeeping before glancing at the Fighters of Nanyo. "I'll spread the word out and begin searching the first sixth of the list. I'll keep in touch." Turning her back to the others, she began walking away.

Hakufu watched the admittedly graceful Fighter begin walking away before she gasped as a thought came to her, "Kanu, wait!" Hakufu broke away from her group and trotted over to the taller girl while reaching into her pocket. "If you need to make a quick escape or something you can use the vending machines these cans come from," she reached into her pocket and produced three Cell Medals which were part of her allowance. "Just pop Cell Medals into the machine and press the black button under the glass and it'll turn into a motorcycle."

"I recall seeing Ankh do it at Seito," Kanu commented, recalling the battle on Seito's grounds. Reaching to a pocket in her blouse, she produced five Cell Medals, making Ankh's eyes bulge out in shock. "I appreciate the generosity, but I am well prepared."

"Where did you get those?" Ankh demanded, stomping towards the tanned girl with fury in his eyes.

"After OOO destroyed the eggs producing those Yummies in the library, we found them all over the floor," Kanu replied, tucking the five Medals away. She privately enjoyed the look of unexpected outrage on Ankh's face. "Since you never claimed them, we picked them up so to try and figure out what they were. At least today answered the question on that front."

"Why tell us this?" asked Ryomou.

"If what you are telling me about the Greeed is true, they are a greater threat than anything the other schools could muster and more important than any fate of the war we're fighting," Kanu replied. "You were honest with me about OOO, the Greeed, and the Yummies. It's only fair I be honest with you. Nanyo and Seito have never had any truly antagonistic relations so I don't feel there is any reason to keep this from you."

Ryomou frowned, but didn't say anything more. She knew that Kanu was a Fighter who valued honour to a high degree. She didn't stab people in the back, lie outright, use dirty tactics, or any of the more common means many of the modern Fighters used to ensure winning. She also agreed with Kanu's thoughts about the Greeed being a much bigger threat than any of the schools possibly could be even with ones led by leaders capable of using their Haouryuu. If they could take out some of the highest ranked Fighters so easily, what could they do when they went all out?

Her statement made, Kanu turned and walked away to begin her search as well as send out the word. As she walked, Ankh's temper boiled over at the thought of what seemed to be a number of Cell Medals going unclaimed and had promptly captured Hakufu in a powerful headlock with his kaijin arm while delivering a powerful noogie to her head in outrage. Hakufu was screaming and kicking while crying out for mercy.

"Ankh-chan! Mercy! It hurts!"

"No excuses! Face your punishment!"

* * *

**Nameless Bar**

"My, you're looking better Uva."

The bar which the Greeed had claimed was filled with the four kaijin, their banners draped across the ceiling. Kazali was lounging along one of the plush bench seats while Mezul was poking at a display of fake flowers while fiddling with a lily. Gameru was amusing himself by stacking chairs on top of a table to try and make a tower for some reason only his childish mind could comprehend. Finally, Uva was sitting at the bar flexing his newly re-armoured arm. Needless to say, all of the Greeed were in their natural forms rather than their new human disguises.

"Don't suppose you managed to get any of our Cores back did you?" asked Kazali.

"Don't hold your breath," Uva snorted. "I was looking for mine and only mine. If you want yours then you'll have to get them yourself."

"So rude to a lady," Mezul sighed dramatically. "I suppose I'd just have to brave the wide dangerous world by myself."

"I'd protect you, Mezul," Gameru spoke up.

"Thank you Gameru-chan," the aquatic Greeed giggled in response.

"Well, no helping it I guess," Kazali sighed, getting up to his feet. Folding his hands behind his head, he began walking towards the doorway. "If I want to get my Core Medals back, I'm going to have to get them myself after all. Oh well, I have a plan anyway."

"A plan?" asked Uva, looking at his feline comrade.

"And what would this plan be?" asked Mezul.

"Tut, tut," Kazali grinned, tapping the side of his nose. "That would be telling. You'll just have to find out for yourself. You're welcome to follow me if you like. Who knows, maybe my plan will get you some of your Core Medals back too."

"Oh?" asked Mezul, quirking an eyebrow. "Sounds interesting. Perhaps I can accompany you. I've wanted to meet OOO-shoujou for quite some time now."

"Be my guest," Kazali said while bowing to her.

"Such a gentleman," Mezul giggled as she walked passed Kazali and to the exit. "Not like a certain insect we know."

"Hmph!" Uva snorted.

"Hee hee!" Gameru laughed.

"Urusei!"

* * *

**Greater Kanto**

"That really hurt Ankh-chan!" Hakufu whined, rubbing the considerable knot on her head courtesy of Ankh's noogie.

"You're lucky it's not worse considering that you left so many Cell Medals behind," Ankh growled. "How could you forget there were Cell Medals inside of the building too?"

"I was busy saving the glasses girl!" Hakufu retorted. "She was more important!"

"Not to me!" Ankh snapped.

"I'd like to see you say that when Kanu is around," Hakufu huffed.

"Tsk! Whatever!" It was supposed to make the possessed boy sound tough, but even he knew that Kanu's strength was considerable for a human. In his original body he wouldn't have really cared if Kanu wanted to wish him harm or not. In his more fragile human form, he wasn't so sure he'd last long against her if he got her mad. It didn't mean he'd bow to her or anyone else though. He still had his pride and it wouldn't permit him to act in any other manner.

The pair was walking through one of the many streets of the city where Chouhi would buy her usual stash of snacks. The list was composed of all of the places she would go to for her snack craving and their locations. It also listed the reasons why she would go there just so they would be able to predict what the Yummy would go for first. The sort-of dynamic duo **was** taking the second section of the list after drawing straws with the others. The top of their section was a comfy restaurant which was known to sell really good takoyaki which Chouhi swore by, underlining the word 'good' with a red pen.

"How much further is this place?" asked Ankh impatiently.

"Shouldn't be much farther…I think," Hakufu replied, staring at the list.

"Should have just taken the motorcycles," the red Greeed grumbled.

Hakufu heaved a sigh as she tried to keep her mind on the task at hand. Beating that Yummy was really important and she couldn't let herself get distracted by fighting with Ankh again even if he deserved it for giving her that awful noogie… and by spending Kokin's money on that iPhone….and badmouthing her friends…and stuffing himself with popsicles when Ryomou found him for their meeting…

What was she thinking about again?

* * *

**With Saji…**

"So…nothing odd's been happening then?"

"Unnnnn….no…"

Saji had taken the third section of the list and hit up a convenience store where according to Chouhi, the best damn cupcakes were shipped in every week. He had found the place easily enough, but when he saw the ponytailed redhead hottie tending to the counter he decided that an in-depth investigation was required. After a few smooth words and a gentle caress or two, she was singing like a bird…or purring like a kitten… whichever is more accurate. Both were in the stock room of the store with her pressed against the wall with her apron removed and her blouse wide open to reveal a black lacy bra and her skirt hiked up to reveal matching panties. Saji's interrogation had been…intensive, but he didn't learn anything odd going on. After all, Yummies could be just as sneaky as they were destructive so he had to be sure. Just in case Uva ordered it to be stealthy and fill itself up secretly.

"Well, looks like I'm going to have to leave soon then," Saji grinned into the smooth neck of his target.

"Like hell you are," the redhead growled playfully as she actually wrapped both her legs around his hips. "I think you can scrounge up a lot more questions to ask."

"I probably can."

* * *

**Gakushu…**

"Thank you for your patronage!"

Gakushu nodded back to the enthusiastic counter attendant as he left the bakery with an armful of pastry boxes. His section of Chouhi's list took him to the bakery which was supposedly home to some of the best donuts man could create. Free samples were readily available as Gakushu explored the small shop and his sweet tooth got the better of him. One taste and he was hooked, using all of his pocket money to buy up the largest box of the delicious pastries. Ryomou would definitely kick his ass if she found out he was shopping on the job but when the sweet tooth cried out, all he could do was obey.

"Totally worth it," he mumbled around the donut sticking out of his mouth.

* * *

**Ryomou…**

"I don't know why, but I'm feeling the need to kick Gakushu's ass after this is over," Ryomou muttered to herself.

Ryomou's part of the list took her to a pastry shop where the richest of cookies could be found. The cookies there had a variety of flavours; chocolate, strawberry, lemon, kiwi, and many more. Of course, this was also a local hang out from some smartasses who went to check out some passing by chicks. That warning was written in red next to the shop's name on Chouhi's list. One guy that Ryomou was walking passed decided to get fresh and tried to cop a feel. Apparently, he didn't know who Ryomou was.

**CRASH!**

Within a millisecond, the guy was thrown out through the store's window. He crashed into a heap in cuts and burses, surrounded by broken glass.

"Retard!" Ryomou snarled, her face red in embarrassment.

* * *

**Kanu…**

"Give our regards to Chouhi-san," the baker of the pastry shop called after Kanu as she turned to leave the shop. In her hands was a box of éclairs which her short-haired friend liked so much.

"I will," Kanu nodded as she exited the shop.

The long-haired girl walked out onto the street with the box of pastries in hand. She had sorely underestimated the lengths Chouhi would go to for stocking up on her snacks. Granted, the pastries and such were probably for the days she would treat herself, otherwise she'd stick to cookies or those restaurants she loved to frequent. For the chefs, waiters and other such people to know her by name though showed just how often Chouhi had decided to treat herself.

"How she isn't a blimp even after eating all this even I don't know," the exotic girl sighed. "It must go straight to her muscles."

Reaching one of the sidewalk benches, Kanu set her package down and pulled out her cell phone. Pulling up the texting option, she began to make her message.

_To: All Fighters_

_From: Kanu Unchou_

_This is a direct order. All Fighters keep their eyes out for anything which is weird or odd, even if it stands out only a little in a way that it shouldn't. Report it straight to Chou-un, Ryuubi, or myself. Tell us where you saw it and when. If possible, get a picture. If you think it may be threatening, DO NOT CONFRONT IT! REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY!_

Her message completed, Kanu hit the 'send' button, instantly letting the message go out to all of the Fighters of Seito. Soon everyone would know something was up and would hopefully report if they saw anything. She just hoped none of the more ambitious Fighters tried to take on the Yummy or the Greeed in hopes of rising in the ranks.

With the message to the Fighters sent, Kanu went to work at alerting Chou'un and Ryuubi as to what was going on and what to look for with the incoming messages. She just hoped it didn't hurt Ryuubi too badly when she discovered that OOO was a woman like the others suspected.

* * *

**Kanto Streets**

It was certainly an odd sight to see, coming back from Seito. Walking down the street was a young woman with long silver hair that was holding a katana. Next to her was a punk-ish looking young man who none of the local guys were interested in challenging to a fight, even for the chance of catching the hot swordswoman's attention. As much as the two stood out, one for her hair and weapon and the other for his height they were nothing compared to the bespectacled young woman who was happily riding the back of a large bear and nuzzling his fur.

Ryuubi and Shamoku had ended up talking for a while after she had gotten over how Kuma-chan had grown since the last time she had seen him and the joint teasing the pair gave her for her small crush on her OOO-sama. Since the day was wearing on, Chou'un said they had best be reporting back to the shrine. Shamoku instantly volunteered to assist in escorting Ryuubi since one never knew what would happen, especially since all of the monster business started up. It was an offer Chou'un happily accepted since both of Ryuubi's escorts, Chouhi and Kanu, were mysteriously AWOL.

"I confess a curiosity as to how you and Ryuubi know one another," Chou'un spoke and the trio traveled together. "You don't strike me as the type she'd be friendly with, given your reputation."

"Don't suppose I do, do I?" Shamoku snickered around his toothpick. "To be honest, we met back when we were still considering the sandbox to be one of the coolest things ever. Primary school and all that. Believe it or not, I was the shrimpiest kid out of everyone there. I was even shorter than most of the girls, no offense."

"None taken," Chou'un smiled, wondering how someone who was obviously as tall and muscled as Shamoku would could be anything but the tallest at any age. The thought was rather cute; especially since she had cracked open her eyes to get a good look at him while he was talking to Ryuubi. Picturing a tough guy like him as a small child was amusing. "I just find it hard to believe."

"Hey, I wasn't always rough and tough," Shamoku snickered. "Anyway, since I was the smallest some of the meaner kids liked to pick on me since they would be able to get away with it. One day they were pushing me around when out of the blue, Ryuu-chan comes out and starts scolding them for being mean. Since we were all taught that hitting girls was one of those things you just don't do, they couldn't make her go away so they just left. After that, Ryuu-chan always went out of her way to make sure I was safe and we became friends soon after that."

"Sounds like a childhood romance to me," Chou'un teased.

"It was, wasn't it?" asked Shamoku with a grin. "I actually thought Ryuu-chan was a princess in disguise so I promised to protect her. Who would have thought I was pretty accurate about that?"

"Hmm, you may be right," the silver-haired girl mused.

"So, who is this OOO guy Ryuu-chan's been mooning over?"

"Actually," Chou'un began, "OOO is really a female, from what I could tell from her voice."

"OOO is a girl?" Shamoku blinked. "So how did Ryuu-chan come to believe that she was a he? And would she really roll that way if she found out the truth?"

"That I don't know," Chou'un replied. "As for whether or not she would care if OOO was a woman, I don't know about that either. Although Kanu may feel a bit jealous if Ryuubi decided to pursue OOO regardless of the gender."

"Yeah, it'd be a real shame," Shamoku chuckled. He had been told about the head general's not-so-secret crush on the shy girl. It was really no secret since gossip like that spread like wildfire. In fact, Shamoku suspected that the only person who didn't know was Ryuubi herself. "Anything else you found out?"

"There was her companion that was with her on the night of the shark invasion. He was wearing Nanyo colors and a strange red glove. He seemed to know what was going on. We were going to investigate Nanyo Academy for any clues, but it was decided that it may have very well been a disguise to blend with the people and that OOO couldn't have possibly given us such an obvious clue to her identity."

"Yeah, that would be pretty stupid to leave such an obvious clue," Shamoku agreed. Before he could begin wracking his brains to offer a helpful suggestion, his cell phone buzzed. Digging it out of his pocket, he quickly snapped it open and hit the receive button, reading over the message. "Huh, it's from Unchou."

"It is?" asked Chou'un. "Why is she sending you a message? To my knowledge you've never met."

"It's not to me personally," Shamoku replied, eyeing the words on his phone. "It's to all of the Fighters of Seito and their allied schools. It says to keep an eye out for anything weird or stands out where it shouldn't. She doesn't say anything specific, just that if we do we get a time, place, and possibly a picture if we can and report it to her, you, or Ryuu-chan."

"Kanu's never that cryptic," Chou'un frowned with a quirked eyebrow. In the next moment however, her own cell phone and that of Ryuubi's went off with different chimes. Chou'un went to hers while Ryuubi halted her snuggling of Kuma-chan's fur so to get her phone. Both quickly answered the phones, Chou'un turning away from Shamoku slightly so that she could crack open an eye away from his view. Chou'un silently read her message, understanding dawning on her while Ryuubi…

"Kan-san found OOO-sama!" the bespectacled girl squealed in excitement.

"What?" Shamoku blinked.

"Kanu has apparently found OOO again," Chou'un explained, closing her phone and closing her eye. "According to her, Chouhi was attacked by one of the monsters and it used her to create another one. It looks like a white silkworm and is supposedly going around attacking places Chouhi likes to get snacks from. Kanu has apparently teamed up with OOO and some Nanyo Fighters so to try and find it before it causes more harm."

"So OOO is from Nanyo then," Shamoku frowned. "I assume the message I got was to help keep an eye out for this thing and whatever made it?"

"According to Kanu's message, yes," Chou'un nodded. "Chouhi is also going to be in the hospital for at least overnight due to the beating she got. Due to this, I must ask that you please stay with us at the shrine for the time being until my comrades are at their full strength and this current threat is dealt with."

"Anything for Ryuu-chan," Shamoku nodded. Looking up to glance at his childhood friend and see how she was taking the news as a whole, he blinked when he saw Kuma-chan with Ryuubi on top running into the distance, the bespectacled girl tugging on his fur like reins. "Hey Ryuu-chan! Get back here!"

"Sorry Sham-chan, but I have to find Kan-san!" Ryuubi called back as Kuma-chan lengthened the distance. "I'll bring Kuma-chan back later!"

"Ryuubi! No!" Chou'un shouted after her errant leader before both Fighters began chasing after the running bearback rider, hoping to at least keep her in sight if not catch up to her.

* * *

"Well that was the third store that turned out to be a complete bust," Hakufu said as she and her possessed guardian exited from another store, this one specializing in an unbelievable variety of cookies. The owners actually knew Chouhi pretty well and got the hospital and room number out from Hakufu so they could send a get-well package for one of their favourite customers.

"Yummies have an annoying habit of staying out of sight unless they're actively collecting Cell Medals," Ankh grunted. "It could be quite possibly anywhere. Unless it goes on the attack again, I won't be able to sense it. What's the place one on the list?"

Hakufu brought it out and scanned through it. "The last one is a candy shop. Says here that it as one the best candy bars that could be found."

"Well, come on. Let's get to it," Ankh said gruffly as he walked ahead.

"Wait up Ankh-chan!" Hakufu cried, trying to match the Greeed's walking speed. He was sure in a hurry! As the pair headed down the street, a sudden rumble caused them both to pause as the vibrations hit their feet. Hakufu began to look around din all directions to try and figure out what had happened while Ankh just stared straight ahead and began to scowl. Something was coming…

**KABLOOSH!**

"Woah!"

The sewer lid and the nearby storm drains suddenly exploded into a cascade of water. What was odd was that the water wasn't dirty like one would expect, but clear and fresh-looking. The pillars of water made a curtain of water which hid the opposite end of the street from view. Any and all commuters ran for cover while Hakufu and Ankh were left by themselves. The curtain of water only existed for a few moments longer, but swiftly collapsed. On the other side of the wet wall was a feminine figure which reminded Hakufu of a fish, even if her chest looked like it was mummified.

"Hello Ankh," the fish woman waved daintily.

"Mezul," Ankh frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Why, I just wanted to meet you and little OOO-shoujo," the fish woman replied. "Besides, I'm certain that you have something of mine. Something I want back very badly."

"Hmph!" Ankh snorted while crossing his arms. "You must have me mistaken with someone else. I don't have any of your Cores."

"Now now Ankh, it's not nice to lie to a lady," Mezul warned. Snapping her hand out, a blast of highly pressurized water shot at the pair with the speed of a bullet. Ankh and Hakufu dodged out of the way, managing to avoid being hit. However, a car's front got punctured with the blow and created a sizable hole while destroying the engine.

"Holy cow," Hakufu gulped.

"Head in the game woman!" Ankh snapped, bringing Hakufu's mind back to the situation. Revealing his kaijin arm, he produced the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals. "Mezul isn't going to let us go. Might as well try to get some of her Core Medals if we can. Don't screw up this time!"

"You got it Ankh-chan!" Hakufu nodded. Grabbing the Medals, she then produced the OOO Driver and strapped it across her waist. Slipping the Medals in, she grabbed the O-Scanner before swiping across the coins with three chiming noises. "Henshin!"

"**TAKA! TORA! BATTA!**"

"**TA-TO-BA, TATOBA, TA-TO-BA!**"

In a flurry of coloured Medals, the crests of the three Cores the teen used appeared before fusing together and pressing against her chest, creating her armour. Clenching her fists, OOO charged a Mezul with a brutal punch aimed at her whale-like head. However, Mezul proved quick and agile, swerving around OOO's attack with ease and even dodged the follow-up attacks. She didn't retaliate yet, merely dodged and went around the attacks so she could see the new OOO in action.

"Tsk!" Ankh frowned as he watched Mezul fight. "The woman couldn't take anything that seriously."

"Hehehe. Ne, ne," Mezul giggled as she continued to slip through the attacks, "What's the matter? Can't keep up with me?"

"Oi!" OOO snapped. "Come back here!"

Mezul merely continued to giggle as dropped from a roundhouse kick and kicked OOO from her feet. The Ancient Fighter reacted quickly to a handstand for spinning top kick. The sudden kicks to the chest caught Mezul off guard, making her skid backwards with some distance between them.

Mezul tended her mummified chest as she gazed at OOO with a good amount of interest. "I'm surprised you managed to recover from that. Maybe Ankh was right to choose you to become the second OOO."

"Uh… thanks?" OOO blinked, not knowing whether or not she should be flattered.

"You are most welcome. Of course, now this means I'll just have to try a bit harder." With that said, Mezul let out a small shout as she shot forward several more blasts of high-pressurized water. After evading several, OOO brought out her Medajilabur and rushed in while slashing away more hydro shots. As sound as she got in range, she went for a stab to try and possible get some Medals. However, Mezul leaped over OOO and got a free shot at the back of her head, causing her to stumble forward. The two female combatants continued to go at it with flurries of swings and kicks.

"Che, at this rate we'll never get any Medals," grumbled Ankh. "Oi, Hakufu! Stop playing around!" He then tossed a Core Medal to her and she caught it. "Use that!"

"OK!" OOO nodded but as she was distracted she was pushed back by a blast of water. She was pushed head over heels by the attack before hitting the ground in a soaked heap.

"Ah, ah, ah. I don't think so," Mezul chided in a teasing manner.

OOO groaned and stumbled to her feet. She was knocked silly, but she was still in one piece and still clutching the Medal that Ankh had tossed to her. Glancing at it, she found that it was the Gorilla Medal. Quickly getting to her feet, she swapped out the Tora Medal and slid the new one into its place. Grabbing her O-Scanner, she swiped it across with three musical chimes.

"**TAKA! GORILLA! BATTA!**"

The composite Core Medal appeared and slammed into OOO's chest, changing her arm armor from the clawed Tora Arms to the bulky Gorilla Arms. The disguised Sho Hao grinned as she flexed her arms, feeling the comfortable weight of the bulky armour on her arms. Rather than be intimidated by it though, the fish-like Greeed merely watched with a strange sparkle in her eyes.

"Hm, that's Gameru-chan's," Mezul admired.

Ankh frowned as he watched the proceedings. While he was getting more confident in Hakufu's ability to fight against Yummies as OOO, he didn't hold nearly as much hope for her chances against his fellow Greeed. So far, every time she had faced them, sneaky tactics or desperation strikes were the only reasons she managed to drive them off. That and managed to snatch some Core Medals in the process. The recent fiasco with losing the Kamakiri Medal to Uva didn't help that confidence either. As OOO and Mezul began fighting again, with the Fighter using the heavy swings her armour allotted her, he still couldn't shake the sense of foreboding in his borrowed gut.

"No taking chances this time," Ankh frowned, drawing the Kuwagata Medal.

"Oh don't be a party pooper Ankh. Let them have their fun."

Ankh's eyes widened as he whipped around to see who was talking. There strolling up the street towards him was the feline Greeed Kazali. He looked as easygoing as ever and didn't seem to really care that a fight between OOO and his fellow Greeed was going on a few feet ahead of him.

"Kazali," Ankh frowned. "What do you want?"

"I was just in the neighbourhood and decided to check up on you," Kazali replied. Coming to a stop a few steps away from his incomplete comrade, Kazali gazed at Ankh. "I hope you've considered my offer Ankh. You have a lot to gain from it after all."

"And a lot to lose if you stab me in the back," Ankh frowned. "Just how do you plan to help me anyway?"

Kazali merely chuckled, "Talking about it hear leaves it open to anyone listening. Think you can trust me enough to talk someplace a little quieter and without distractions?"

Ankh frowned, calculating the offer in his mind…

"Lead the way."

* * *

**Elsewhere….**

Kanu walked up to a vending machine and bought a can of lemonade which she quickly began to sip as she continued her search. So far, none of the places she searched saw hide nor hair of any of the Greeed or the Yummy. It was really making her wonder if Uva wasn't trying to obtain Cell Medals, but was biding his time until he could strike back at OOO for another chance at his Core Medals. If that were true, then their hunt for the Yummy through Chouhi's favourite hangouts was proving to be nothing more than a wild goose chase. It would also mean that Hakufu and Ankh were in considerable danger despite one possessing the power of OOO.

"What is your plan?" she muttered into the mouth of her drink before taking a sip.

Finishing the drink, she tossed the can away as she heard her phone begin to ring. Knowing it may be important, she pulled it out and quickly accepted the text message she had received.

_To: Kanu Unchou_

_From: FighterGuy 271_

_I wasn't too sure what your order was all about, but I did keep an eye out like you said. I think I found something that you really need to see._

At the bottom of the message was a picture that the sender had snapped to give to her. Kanu's eyes took in the image before widening. Depicted in the photo was the easily recognizable form of Ankh, but with him was a cat-like creature of some kind. They were both alone in a nearby section of the city which was a crosswalk for foot traffic between buildings. No one else was around and it seemed that the pair was talking rather than fighting.

"That rotten…" Kanu frowned, coming to see Ankh's lack of combat as a sign of betrayal. She recognized the area the pair was in easily enough and was within running distance. Gripping her naginata, she took off like a shot towards the area. If Ankh really was betraying them for the Greeed, she would not show him mercy.

* * *

OOO let out a yell as she charged at Mezul who dodged her punches. Sure, OOO was a powerful Fighter and with the OOO armor she was enhanced but Mezul was slippery and fast, plus she had her water powers. Several blasts of water hit OOO but she blocked with the Gorilla Arms. "Gameru-chan has been looking all over for that Medal. He really wants it back."

"Hey, we got it from him fair and square!" snapped OOO.

"Maybe, but that doesn't make it right. So, I'll just take it back!" shouted Mezul as she intensified her attack. The powerful stream of water was blocked by OOO gauntlets, but the defence didn't last very long against the renewed assault. The force of the blow launched her clean off her feet before she crashed into the brick wall of one of the buildings. The impact jarred the Gorilla Medal from her Driver as she slid to the ground. The armour vanished as Hakufu slumped to the ground, the Gorilla Medal rolling away. The piece of metal didn't make it very far before it was daintily scooped into Mezul's hand. "And now this is mine."

Hakufu groaned as she struggled back up to her feet. Boy Ankh was really going to let her have it for losing that Gorilla Medal. Groaning, she got back to her feet as Mezul stood admiring the Gorilla Medal, obviously not caring that her opponent was still alive. Well, Hakufu wasn't going to turn down an opportunity like this! She'd show the fish lady not to underestimate her just because she wasn't in her armour. Fishing the Tora Medal out of her pocket, she slipped it into the centre slot before swiping the O-Scanner across the three Medals. "Henshin!

**"TAKA! TORA! BATTA!"**

**"TA-TO-BA, TATOBA, TA-TO-BA!"**

"Ready to lose more Medals then?" Mezul smiled.

OOO didn't reply as she charged straight at the fish Greeed. As she approached though, the hawk symbol on the top of her combined crest began to flash before a pulse of red travelled up the red line to her helmet and caused the eye pieces to flash from green to red. In OOO' eyes, her view was covered with a red haze. What was really weird though was that as OOO stared at Mezul, blue sparkles of light began to shine from what seemed to be inside of her torso.

"Hoh!" Mezul cried, launching another blast of pressurized water.

This time OOO was able to anticipate the attack. Instead of trying to dodge, OOO rolled forward and positioned herself into a kneeling position. Keeping the blue sparkles within Mezul in sight, OOO unfolded her Tora Claws before lunging at the female Greeed. Mezul was unable to use her powers to protect herself and was quickly struck, the claws digging through her mummified flesh, spilling out Cell Medals from the blow.

"EEYYAAAH!"

Mezul's scream echoed through the area before OOO ripped her claws back out of the female Greeed in a splash of Cell Medals. However, caught in the yellow claws were three blue Core Medals. One had what looked like an eel etched on its surface while the other two had an octopus marking on their surfaces.

"Guh…gah…" Mezul choked as she stumbled away from OOO, clutching her sides. As she stumbled backwards, her waist armour down to her knees began to dissolve into Cell Medals, revealing her mummified hips and thighs. The only armour on her legs was her boots which reached her knees. Panting, she glared venomously at OOO but was unable to speak thanks to her sudden weakness. She instead made an eruption of water around her, allowing her to escape while OOO shielded her eyes. When the water died down, Mezul was long gone.

"Whew," OOO sighed. Plucking the blue Medals from her claws, she gripped them tightly before removing her belt. The colours died down before the armour vanished and allowed Hakufu to return to normal. Grinning, she let the three blue Core Medals jingle in her hand. "Ankh-chan's not going to be happy about losing the Gorilla Medal, but maybe these blue ones will make him feel better." Turning, she was about to call out, but found herself alone in the street. "Huh? Ankh-chan, where did you go?"

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

Ankh and Kazali were facing each other down within a more isolated area, away from the battle between Mezul and OOO. The tension was quite thick since both Greeed were more than a little untrusting of each other since they knew how they acted before their sealing. The two seemed to be on the verge of making a deal, but Ankh wanted to know exactly the specifics rather than let Kazali keep him in the dark with promises of what Ankh could get if he agreed. So now, it was all a matter of negotiations.

"I'm missing a few of my Cores, Ankh," said Kazali, opening the conversation. "No thanks to you."

"Well, I'm missing most of them," Ankh retorted. "I thought I would make it fair by giving you all the same handicap."

"You've always been sly," complimented Kazali.

"And you've always been a sneak," Ankh said.

"So, we have something else in common," said Kazali. "Now, I know you don't care for the humans so how about you give me back my Core Medals and leave any Yummy I make alone? You can always get more Core Medals from the others. I'll even leave OOO alone."

"So, you expect me to leave you alone just for your Core Medal?" Ankh snorted.

"How about I help you to find _your_ Core Medals?" Kazali offered. "I mean you haven't had much luck, am I right? Plus you have to share one of your Cores for OOO to use. Besides, I'll even give you a cut of all of the Cell Medals my Yummies bring in. Fifty-fifty, right down the middle."

"That's generous of you," Ankh frowned. Awfully tempting too since Ankh was being forced to give up sixty percent of all of the Cell Medals he managed to claim from any and all Yummies OOO defeated. One of the things that disturbed him though aside from the question of Kazali's trustworthiness was the fact that Kazali wasn't hinting that he had any of Ankh's Core Medals. If Kazali didn't have them, then Mezul and Uva likely didn't have them either since they would have tried to barter them in a heartbeat. Gameru was too stupid to try and barter even if he did have them. That spoke of something more that Ankh didn't like.

"So, how about it?" asked Kazali.

"ANKH!"

Ankh and Kazali turned to see the familiar form of Kanu standing at the entrance to the plaza they were meeting in. She was panting slightly and gripping her weapon, showing that she was quite angry and ready for business.

"Oh, who's this?" asked Kazali.

"One of the local brats who can't tell when they're in over their heads," Ankh sighed, glaring at Kanu with apathy.

"Ah, one of the Fighters playing in their little re-enactment," Kazali nodded, regarding Kanu with little more than idle curiosity. "She's with that human you've been spending your time with, right? Tell you what, see if you can subdue her and I'll use her desires to make a Yummy. Remember, it's a fifty-fifty deal."

"Sounds like a fair deal," Ankh grinned, flexing his kaijin hand.

Kanu frowned and took a fighting stance. It seemed her worries about Ankh were valid after all. Ankh's sinister smirk told her all she needed to know about where his true allegiances lay. The possessed boy turned to face Kanu and raised his red arm as a sinister aura began to surround it. Before Ankh even began to approach her, she began to run through possible scenarios in her mind. Ankh's main weakness probably lay in how he was forced to reside in a human body, but there was no telling what the Core Medals he was storing would be doing to his powers even as an arm. If she would have to fight Ankh, she would have to try and reclaim the Core Medals Hakufu would need to transform into OOO before the other Greeed could claim them. Eyeing the feline Greeed, she watched as the claws extended from his right gauntlet as he prepared to swing a cutting attack…

…at Ankh?

Kanu's eyes widened as she realized that the cat-like Greeed wasn't aiming at her, but at Ankh! She was about to cry out in reflex, but it didn't seem to be needed for Ankh. The possessed boy seemed to almost know what was happening as he whirled around, allowing the blow to fly past his face with just a shallow cut on the cheek before his own red fist smashed into the feline's face with a resounding 'crack' that echoed through the air. The impact sent the Greeed stumbling backwards, clutching his face.

"Urk! Ankh…what?" Kazali grunted out.

"Don't play innocent with me," Ankh scowled. "I knew for a while now that you were planning on double-crossing me. You never intended on helping me get my Cores or more Cell Medals. You were probably planning to stab me in the back at the first opportunity. It may have been centuries, but I am still able to remember how you work."

Kanu blinked in shock, watching the scene between the two Greeed play out. Daring to step closer, but with her guard up she tried to discern just what Ankh was talking about, "Just what made you so sure he was going to betray you?"

"This," Ankh replied, revealing his iPhone. "After he came to me with the deal, I got this and sent out a message." Pressing some buttons, a scrolling screen came up to a message which Ankh had made as Kokin.

_To: All Nanyo Fighters_

_From: Kokin Shuyu_

_Subject: Imperial Order from Hakufu Sonsaku_

_This is an order coming from Hakufu Sonsaku**;** keep an eye out for anything strange or weird that may pop up. In specific, pay attention to anyone that looks like someone dressed like an animal/human hybrid monster. Do not engage them if you see them and instead report them back to me. I will inform Hakufu personally._

Following the message were numerous pictures of what seemed to be Kazali hiding out in trees, alleys, or on rooftops. In each picture, he wasn't just lounging around but actually staring at something with some concentration on his face.

"I recognize each of these spots too," Ankh continued, tucking the phone away whilst staring at Kazali. "You've been following me periodically since you came to me with that deal. If you were being honest you wouldn't have been following me that much. Unlike you, I am capable of keeping my word when something good is in it for me."

"Heh, undone by my suspicion," Kazali snickered. Shaking his head, he stood up. "Looks like I'll have to go with Plan B." He produced a pair of Cell Medals and held them in his hand. Clenching his fists, he tightened him enough to hear a cracking noise. Kanu eyed the scene carefully while Ankh began to frown. Kazali than tossed the two coins aside, revealing he had broken the pair of Cell Medals in half as they hit the pavement. The shards of metal didn't stay idle though before bandages erupted from them in a flurry. Four masses of bandages rose up before forming into four Yummies…well, they looked like Yummies. Their bodies were gray and covered with only minimal white bandages. Their heads though held no features, but a single round black hole which didn't seem to have an opposite end to it.

"Play with them, won't you?" asked Kazali of his four creations. The four Yummy-like monsters suddenly became alert and became shambling towards the pair.

"What are these?" Kanu asked.

"Pseudo-Yummies," grumbled Ankh. "Low-level trash compared to the Yummy. I would estimate humans such as yourself wouldn't have too much difficulty with them."

"Then let's remove some trash," Kanu frowned, raising her weapon.

* * *

**Greater Kanto**

"Ryuu-chan, just stop already!"

"Kuma-chan won't stop!"

The strange chase of a girl on a bear being followed by a pair of teens travelled down the streets. Ryuubi was riding on top of Kuma-chan who didn't seem interested in stopping anytime soon. Behind her were Chou'un and Shamoku trying to keep up. At first it had appeared that Ryuubi was urging the bear to run as fast as it could, but her panicked cries were indicating that their first assumption was likely wrong.

"Does he always act this way?" asked Chou'un as she and Shamoku tried to keep the pace.

"No! I've trained Kuma-chan for years! He's way better behaved than this!" Shamoku frowned, pacing himself. "He wouldn't go out like this unless…" he trailed off as comprehension filled his eyes. Chou'un didn't like the pause her new comrade was making. Pauses like that usually meant bad news.

"Unless what?" asked Chou'un with a frown.

"Unless he smells a threat," Shamoku answered. "Kuma-chan has good instincts when it comes to enemies and he never goes off on his own unless he thinks there's something that's threatening me. He's nabbed a would-be assassin or two that way. If he's running off on his own like this then something isn't right."

"And he's dragging Ryuubi into the middle of it," Chou'un frowned.

Whatever the bear had smelled, he had caught the trail quite strongly. He didn't stop or even slow down, forcing Chou'un and Shamoku to keep up in attempts to save Ryuubi. It had become doubly important to get her now that it was revealed that Kuma-chan was running towards what he perceived as a threat. For all the pair tried to keep up though, Kuma-chan was surprisingly fast even with Ryuubi on his back.

The bear dashed around a corner with Chou'un and Shamoku in hot pursuit. They bolted around the corner, but rather than open sidewalk like they had expected, they ran into a wall of bear fur and Ryuubi's warm body. The three Fighters collapsed to the ground in a heap, but thankfully had no real injuries. Shamoku managed to get up first to get a good look at things while Chou'un helped sit Ryuubi up. Next to them, Kuma-chan was growling vocally at whatever was ahead. Shamoku followed his pet's gaze to find a local convenience store with the front window destroyed.

"What the-?" the Barbarian King blinked.

Further speculation was cut off by the sounds of crunching footsteps coming from within the convenience store. What was making the noises was quickly answered when out from the shattered window stepped a large white and rubber-like monster which looked very much like a silkworm. It had a gumball machine with the top smashed open and it was pouring the candies into its open maw, gulping them down with no difficulty whatsoever.

"I take it this is what Kanu warned us about," Chou'un frowned, hearing the familiar jingle of coins with each step the monster took.

"Yeah…I'd say so." Shamoku grimaced.

"Eep!" Ryuubi whimpered in fright.

As the Yummy gulped down the last of the gumballs, it belched loudly and tossed the empty machine away before laying its eyes on the trio and their pet bear. Ryuubi whimpered as both Shamoku and Chou'un took battle stances so to protect their leader from this newest monster. Chou'un had drawn her sword and even cracked open her eyes slightly while Shamoku's muscles began to bulge and to those sensitive to it, a battle aura began to swirl around him.

"Don't underestimate these creatures," Chou'un warned. "I fought one before and found myself outmatched."

"I may be a tough guy, but I'm not stupid," Shamoku frowned. "But I'm not a coward either. If this thing wants a fight, then it's going to get one!"

"Too bad you aren't."

Green lightning rained down from the sky, erupting smoke and asphalt in small explosions. Ryuubi squeaked in fear and hid behind Kuma-chan while Shamoku and Chou'un covered their faces so to protect it from shrapnel. The smoke cleared quickly enough, but when it did the trio of Fighters saw the Silkworm Yummy was not alone anymore. Standing in front of it was a black and green bug man of some kind with mummified legs and an aura of violence and intensity.

"Oh crap," Shamoku growled. It didn't take a genius to tell that this new monster was the first one's boss.

"My Yummy has more important things to do than play with some kids like you," the bug man spoke. As he did though, he produced two silver coins which Chou'un recognized as the same kind that she and the others had retrieved from Seito's library. "Since you both look like Fighters though, let's see how you handle this." Taking the coins in his hand, he crushed them until a snapping noise sounded off before he threw the four shards which had been two coins away. As they flew, the shards erupted in old bandages which by the time they hit the ground, had formed into ghoul-like mummies with holes in their heads rather than faces.

"Woah!" Shamoku blinked.

"Tsk!" Chou'un frowned, readying one of her battle stances.

"Maybe if you can beat this trash before my Yummy finishes its next task, I'll let you fight him," the insect man snickered. "But I wouldn't get my hopes up too much."

Shamoku cracked his knuckles. "OK, if that's how it is then let's do this!"

* * *

Ankh growled as he slugged another Psuedo-Yummy in the face. While the creature wasn't as powerful as a regular Yummy, it was just as durable and even more annoying. Both he and Kanu were fighting off the group of four in what felt like hours while Kazali was simply watching.

"You know Ankh, my offer's still open," the cat Greeed spoke over the commotion. "I'll even forgive you for that punch in the face."

"Urusei!" Ankh shouted, slugging another Psuedo-Yummy across the face. "I already gave you my answer! You think I'm stupid enough to ally with you when you'd stab me in the back?"

"Well, when you put it that way," Kazali chuckled. He then raised his claws and extended the blades before slowly approaching the battle.

Kanu grimaced as she slashed another of the Yummies away. The shambling constructs were durable and if she didn't do something to conserve her strength or find a way to land a lethal blow she was just going to tire herself out. Now that Kazali was going to enter the fray judging from how he was approaching, she did not hold high hopes for her and Ankh's chances of survival. One of the top Fighters she may have been, but she didn't hold any assumptions as to how her strength matched that of the Greeed if the Yummies were able to keep her down.

"I'll be taking back my Medals now," Kazali spoke ominously as he prepared to strike.

"ANKH-CHAN! KANU!"

The three combatants turned to glance at the scream and found Hakufu running towards them. She wasn't in her armour and had the OOO Driver gripped in her hand. Although she did look a little flustered due to annoyance, but being ditched in the middle of a fight would bring out that kind of reaction from anyone.

"Oh, did Mezul manage to strip you of all of your Medals?" asked Kazali as he turned to face the blonde. "Come to get more from Ankh?"

"Yeah right!" Hakufu grinned, although it was obvious to see that she was tired. "The fish lady may have gotten the Gorilla Medal from me…"

"WHAT?" screamed Ankh, but he was ignored.

"But I got three new blue ones to make up for it!" Hakufu grinned, raising her hand to reveal the three blue Core Medals she had swiped from Mezul. Strapping the OOO Driver to her waist, she dropped the Taka and Batta Medals into their respective slots before dropping one of the blue Cores into the middle slot. Pocketing the rest, she grabbed the OOO Driver and swiped it across the buckle. "Henshin!"

"**TAKA! UNAGI! BATTA!"**

In a swirl of colours, the three crests of the Core Medals Hakufu used appeared before combining and fusing to her chest. This time however, the torso pieces were different. The centre of the crest on OOO' chest was marked with a blue eel crammed between the hawk and grasshopper emblems. Blue lines extended from the top corners of the middle section and wrapped around her rounded shoulder armour. Fins rose up from near the joints and allowed thick white cords to extend from the find to her light blue wrist armour. The arms themselves were decorated with a single white lightning bolt which reached from shoulder to wrist.

"At least she's not completely useless," Ankh grumbled.

"Oh? So there's more Cores to get from you, are there?" Kazali pondered. "More for me I suppose."

"Just try it!" OOO cried. Reaching to her shoulders, she grabbed the base of the white cords and yanked, pulling them free. The white cords proved to be a pair of whips which crackled with electricity as they touched the ground.

Kazali moved into action, launching a blast of wind from his hands. OOO quickly dodged to the side, but the feline Greeed was on her in a flash. Without much of an option, OOO lashed out with her new whips. The tips struck the centre of Kazali's chest, knocking him back and shocking him something fierce.

"So cool!" OOO cheered as she watched Kazali stumble backwards from the strike. "It's like I'm a lion tamer!"

Kazali shook his head to get the stars out, having been surprised by OOO speed. He stood up and prepared to go for another attack, but…

"YAH!"

**CRACK!**

**CRACK!**

**CRACK!**

Kazali was again struck by the Unagi Whips in rapid succession, putting more stars into his head and more surprise from OOO's speed. Having never fought OOO before and only having watched her once, he didn't have a very accurate estimate of her fighting abilities. This was costing him as her abilities were giving her an edge along with her new weapons against him. Another such attack made him stumble backwards further, forcing him to scramble to his knees to try and get his footing back.

Rearing back her arms, OOO let out one of her battle cries before lashing out with her whips which as much force as she could muster. The white cords cut through the air, crackling with power towards the enemy Greeed. Kazali only had a moment to blink and make an attempt to back away before the whips struck his shoulder with a sizzling crack. The force actually managed to break through his armour, sending out a spray of Cell Medals. Among them, a single yellow Medal followed.

"There!" Ankh gasped. Knocking another Psuedo-Yummy aside, he launched his true form and let Kokin's body drop to the ground. Soaring through the air, he grabbed the yellow Medal and absorbed it into himself which would have had him looking most satisfied if he could still use Kokin's face.

"Damn it," Kazali cursed as he saw the portion of his armor had been broken away and indeed he could feel that he was down on Core Medal. He stumbled to his feet, but as he did so the gauntlet covering his right arm dissolved into a pile of Cell Medals before dropping to the ground, leaving his mummified flesh exposed to the world.

Ankh returned to Kokin's body and taunted, "Yo, Kazali! I think we can safely say there's no deal but if you want to stick around and donate more of your Cores then I'll be happy to oblige!"

"You've won this round, Ankh," cursed Kazali before he leapt away. Losing a good number of Cell Medals and one of his Core Medals had left him in a weakened state and he would not be at his best right now.

Ankh smirked as he watched Kazali fleeing before he looked at the new Core Medal in his hand. This one depicted a side profile of a cheetah while three lines were on the back, indicating that it was for OOO' legs. "This will be useful," he admitted. Hearing grunts and groans, he saw that the Psuedo-Yummies were still stumbling about, trying to get himself and Kanu. Frowning, he glanced at OOO, "Oi! Don't just stand there! Smash these worthless trash heaps!"

"Oh!" OOO **gasped** as the shock of claiming another Core Medal wore off at Ankh's shouting. "Right!" Gripping her Unagi Whips again, OOO charged at the pair of Psuedo-Yummies attacking Ankh. Raising her arms, she twirled her body in a rapid motion while lashing out with her weapons at the same time. The whips crackled through the air and each one crashed against the Psuedo-Yummies' heads with electrified sparks. The two kaijin fell like they were hit with a ton of bricks and exploded into black smoke and grit, leaving behind the shards of a Cell Medal.

"Now to get the ones after…Kanu?" OOO spoke, but quickly trailed off.

The reason? Kanu had danced around the two Psuedo-Yummies attacking her and had taken a kneeling stance with her naginata held to her right. She was holding her stance as she showed that she was concentrating deeply on her next movement. It was certainly showing results as a green aura was covering her as she eyed the pair of Psuedo-Yummies while they approached her at a shambling pace. Her grip tightened on her weapon before she quite suddenly lashed out with a horizontal strike which cut through the Psuedo-Yummies like a hot knife through butter. Both exploded into black dust and dropped their Cell Medal shards to the ground.

"Whew," Kanu huffed. "That wasn't such a chore."

* * *

As the battle with Kazali and Mezul ended, the one between Uva's forces and the Fighters of Seito was heating up. Uva merely stood back and watched as Shamoku and Chou'un were attempting to destroy the Psuedo-Yummies. Shamoku's punishing blows were causing the Psuedo-Yummies to stumble and fall back, but despite the bone-crunching force in the blows his opponents were still shambling to their feet and going on the attack again. Chou'un was meeting similar struggles as she slashed with her sword at the monsters, but their hides couldn't seem to be cut despite how soft and flexible it was. Behind the battle, Ryuubi was hiding behind Kuma-chan as the bear planted itself protectively before her.

The Silkworm Yummy was not idle as the fighting was going on. Rather than going to collect more Cell Medals or try to pick a fight, it was spraying white silk from its insect mouth and making a barrier of the substance around it. Since Shamoku and Chou'un were being distracted by the Psuedo-Yummies, they were unable to stop it. Soon enough, the Yummy was enveloped by the white silk and trapped within the cocoon.

"About time," Uva grunted. Glancing back at the two Fighters, one could hear the smirk in his voice. "Too bad. You both lose."

In response to Uva's words, the cocoon began to shake and finally with an explosive burst a moth the size of the convenience store was revealed. Its legs looked like human arms with sharp nails and it had a human face mixed with insect features for a head. Long droopy antennas squirmed about on its head as if to get a full fix on the environment. White dust escaped from the wings as they started to spread. Dull brown designs which looked like large grasping hands stretched across the span of the wings.

"Go and play with them," Uva said smugly. It wasn't like those brats could do anything about it now.

Chou'un and Shamoku froze as the shadow of the Moth Yummy fell over them. Both looked up and Shamoku's jaw dropped open widely while Chou'un's eyes snapped open. Ryuubi began trembling violently at the sight. As the Moth Yummy gave a mighty flap of its wings, the dust covering their surface fluttered to the ground and began to eat through whatever it touched like sulphuric acid.

"Holy SHIT!" Shamoku cursed in a language near English.

"It evolved again?" Chou'un gasped as her reptilian eyes widened.

"It's going to destroy the city!" Ryuubi stammered.

"Won't let that happen!" Shamoku growled. "We might not be able to do anything to beat it, but there must be some kind of weak spot some where. Giant kaiju monsters always have some kind weakness from what I've seen from watching kaiju movies."

"Then let's do what we can!" Chou'un nodded. They were about to chase after the escaping Moth Yummy when the Pseudo-Yummies suddenly got into their way. There weren't finished with the fight yet it seems.

"We don't have the time for you!" Shamoku growled as he clenched his hands, allowing red Chi to form. With a yell, he threw his fists out with tremendous force, smashing into the chests of the Psuedo-Yummies. A cracking noise sounded off before both constructs shattered, revealing their shards of Cell Medals. Chou'un likewise understood the urgency and summoned up her own chi before bisecting both of her opponents horizontally, making them fall to pieces before they likewise exploded.

The Moth Yummy gave a screech and took to the air. Once again, Chou'un and Shamoku were on the chase, but this time Kuma-chan was following them with Ryuubi on his back. They were being careful though, since touching the dust would prove definitely detrimental to their continued good health. They weren't sure how they were going to stop this monster, but they weren't going to just sit around and watch it go on a rampage!

* * *

Ankh's eyes widened as he sensed a massive amount of Cell Medals coming closer. "Interesting," he commented.

"What?" asked OOO.

"The Yummy has fully matured," said Ankh. He could already imagine all those Cell Medals in its body. It would have been more than enough to rebuild his body if it weren't for that deal.

"What do you mean?" Kanu asked.

"Ankh-chan, is this going to be like that bee again?" OOO asked. Before Ankh could respond, a certain bespectacled girl came into view while riding on a bear as if it were a raging bull. She looked especially panicked over something, but seeing a giant monstrous moth flying over the city would make anyone panic in all honesty.

"KANU, GET AWAY FROM THERE!" Ryuubi shouted from atop Kuma-chan.

"Ryuubi!" gasped Kanu. That was when a shadow loomed over them and they looked up to see the Moth Yummy circling around them. Kanu's eyes widened at the size of the monster, never having expected the Yummy to become so large. The dust from its wings rained down on them and both Ankh and Kanu started to choke. A burning sensation was rocketing through their lungs as they gasped for air. It only took the possessed boy a moment to understand what was happening to his borrowed body.

"Damn powder burns everything it touches!" Ankh coughed. "We need to get the hell out of here!"

"Hold on!" OOO pleaded, grabbing hold of both Ankh and Kanu. She was lucky that the armor also protected her from harmful chemicals as well. The Batta Legs flashed as she jumped clear from the showering powder and to Ryuubi and Kuma-chan in a flash. They were outside the rain of burning powder and thus meant that the pair would be safe from its burning effects. Both were sporting some red marks on their skin while their clothes were sporting several holes from the contact already. Luckily, it seemed the powder had an easier time burning through inorganic matter than it did organic things.

"OOO-sama! Arigato!" Ryuubi beamed. As Kanu and Ankh were brought to safety, Shamoku and Chou'un raced around the corner since Kuma-chan managed to outrun them in his attempts to keep up with the Moth Yummy. Both came to a stop near their leader and spotted the colourful armoured figure that was depositing their fellow Seito Fighter and some guy with blonde hair and a weird glove

"So, you're OOO," said Shamoku as he looked the armoured warrior up and down. "Nice armor, by the way. It's a really unique design."

"Oh…uh…Thanks," OOO accepted the compliment, despite not knowing who he was. Still, it was nice to see that there were people who were nice because they wanted to be, rather than having to be because they wanted to suck-up to someone.

Rather than focusing on OOO, Chou'un's eyes were on the Moth Yummy. The monstrous insect was flying above the area, showering more and more of its corrosive powder. It didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon, "How in the world are we going to deal with that?"

"With this," said Ankh as he flipped the Cheetah Medal to OOO and she caught it in her hand. "It's the one you got from Kazali. Use that when you need it."

OOO nodded, putting the Cheetah Medal into the Medal holder on the left side of her belt. Using the power of the Batta Legs she hopped after the Moth Yummy, leaping onto the rooftops for a better vantage point for their fight.

"OOO-sama~" swooned Ryuubi as she watched her hero go.

OOO followed after the Moth Yummy along the rooftops, actually managing to keep level with the flying monster. Lashing the electrified Unagi Whips at the monster, OOO struck the monster again and again to try and bring it down. It recoiled in shock and turned to face her, flapping its wings to blow her away. OOO was knocked clear across the rooftop she was on, coming to a stop only when she struck and air vent. With a groan, she glared up at the Moth Yummy before stubbornly getting back to her feet almost as if nothing had happened. She then leapt up and swung her Unagi Whips at the Moth Yummy, wrapping them around its abdomen. She then pulled herself up and swung herself onto the back of the Moth Yummy's body. It tried to buck her off but she would not let it have its way. Releasing her grip from one of the Unagi Whips so to free her hand, she withdrew the Batta Medal and replaced it with the Cheetah Medal before waving the O-Scanner over the Medals.

**"TAKA! UNAGI! CHEETAH!"**

The three crests Medals appeared in front of her again, this time the one on the bottom depicting a cheetah in a side profile. The three combined together and fused with her chest to transform her armour once again. This time the bottom of her crest held the Cheetah Medal symbol with two pairs of yellow lines extending from it to her legs. Said legs were covered from ankle to thigh with yellow armour which had black holes near the edges, making it appear as if they were actually from a cheetah. The feet were covered in solid silver metal, enhancing the cheetah look.

"Let's see how this goes!" OOO then started to stomp on the O-Yummy's back and her legs blurred at super speed, the rapid blows causing Cell Medals to burst from the Moth Yummy's body. It howled as it tried to throw OOO off but she had a firm grip on the Unagi Whips. The giant Yummy thrashed and screeched, but OOO would not budge. It wasn't immediate, but the continuous loss of Cell Medals and the electric voltage from the Unagi Whips caused the Yummy to lose mobility with its wings and thus drop the ground like a rock. OOO leaped from the giant monster while it crashed into the streets and landed safely on the ground. On solid land again, she swiftly replaced the Unagi and Cheetah Medals with the Tora and Batta Medals before scanning them.

**"TA-TO-BA, TATOBA, TA-TO-BA!"**

Then she scanned them again.

**"SCANNING CHARGE!"**

OOO leapt skyward with the power of the Batta Legs as three circles aligned themselves between herself and the Yummy. As she dropped through the circles, one by one, auras representing the animals of her Core Medal Combo surrounded her body and finally she slammed into the Yummy with a drop kick that caused a huge explosion on impact. The Moth Yummy vanished into flames and Cell Medals from the impact of the TaToBa Kick and the remains rained down on the witnessing Fighters.

"He did it! He did it!" Ryuubi cheered.

Shamoku looked at the falling Cell Medals let a few drop into his hand. "What the… that monster was made out of coins?"

"I'll… explain everything soon enough," Kanu said, coughing some more powder out of her system. Standing up right, she eyed the newcomer. If she remembered the rumours and descriptions properly, she was looking at Shamoku the Barbarian King. Probably one of the most vicious Fighters Seito had in their ranks. He would be a welcome member to protection detail considering the circumstances, but what was he doing here? They were nowhere near Teikoku Academy.

Explanations and questions were suddenly cut off when OOO landed in front of them and took a sigh of relief. "Phew! That was one heck of fight! I'm sure am glad you guys were there to help me!" She then reached to her belt so to put the Driver into its horizontal position and remove it so to remove the armour…

…when Kanu's hand captured her wrist and prevented her from doing so. "Huh?"

"Not in front of Ryuubi. Please," the tall girl whispered to the armoured Fighter.

"Umm…okay?" OOO blinked.

"OI!" Ankh's irritated voice shouted, interrupting the silent conversation. Everyone turned to see Ankh scooping the large amount of Cell Medals into a large pile. "Don't just stand there! Help me find one of those blasted machines! I'm not letting these Cell Medals go to waste! Get a move on!"

"Okay! Okay!" OOO sighed, going to assist her possessed cousin. "Man, you can be so annoying!"

Sadly, Ankh's order would be denied as Ryuubi finally mustered up her courage and dashed up to her new hero with sparkling eyes and the cutest pleading one could hear. "OOO-sama! Take a picture with me! Please! Please!" Her hands were held underneath her chin as she gazed excitedly at the armoured warrior whom had saved her one night and then the whole city today. Despite being female herself, OOO couldn't resist giving a shaking nod. The result made Ryuubi cheer as she pulled out her phone and prepared to get a picture taken.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me…" groaned Ankh.

Ryuubi would not be deterred as she gave her phone to Shamoku before posing excitedly with OOO before several snapshots were taken. Kanu's eyebrow was twitching again while Shamoku had a slight grin on his face as he watched his friend fawn over OOO. Chou'un merely gave a 'fufufu' behind her hand as she was quietly amused by the entire scene. Ankh of course was just growing more irritated at the 'idiocy' of humans. He was about to really blow his stack when the sounds of a motorcycle cut off his approaching rant and he turned to see Ryomou driving towards the scene on a Ride Vendor with Saji and Gakushu crammed on behind her.

"Oh man. Missed the party again?" Saji groaned as he leaped off the bike. "Talk about a let down."

"And just where the hell have you three been?" asked Ankh with a scowl.

"Searching the stores, where do you think?" Ryomou retorted as she and Gakushu likewise dismounted. "When I saw that giant moth flying around I got onto one of the bikes and headed here. Gakushu and Saji were on their way here when I found them."

"I really need to start carrying Cell Medals of my own," Gakushu groaned, flexing his legs. It was hard enough for a guy his size to be crammed onto a bike with two other people, but being crammed up against another guy just made it that much worse.

"Well, here's your chance then," Saji grinned, pointing at the area which was quite literally littered with Cell Medals. "Dig in."

"No way!" Ankh snarled, stomping closer towards Saji with his kaijin arm ready to punch someone. "I'm already losing enough of these to that cake-baking teme! I don't need to lose more to you brats!"

"Hey, hey easy there Ankh-chan," Saji replied coolly, waving his arms. "We never said we'd take them out of your share. Just take it out of Hakufu's. We know you give her an allowance of the things. Just let us fill our pockets and you won't have to give her any for a while."

"Saji…" Ryomou frowned.

"Hey, you want to help out Hakufu?" asked Saji with a raised eyebrow. "Well we'll need Cell Medals for these motorcycles and the robots."

Ankh frowned at the blonde smooth talker's offer. It seemed like a solid deal to him. The three brats forced their way into is business so they might as well make themselves useful. Besides, with Cell medals of their own, Hakufu could just ask for loans from them instead of him if she really needed them. "Finally a deal I can agree with. Fill your pockets. You've got until I send out those damn birds."

"Gotcha Ankh-chan," Saji grinned. He then glanced to his two comrades. "Mou-chan, Gakushu, let's dig in."

"Kan-san?" Ryuubi nudged her ribcage, "Shouldn't we help them too?"

"Well, we can't let them handle all the grunt work," Kanu shrugged. And with that, the Fighters of Seito began look for a vending machine that held the tiny robots.

* * *

After sending sixty percent of the Cell Medals to the people that provided OOO with the equipment and after Hakufu had hidden herself to release her armor from Ryuubi's view, the gang of Fighters celebrated in one of the shops on Chouhi's list. This bakery shop that Saji "investigated" was a neutral territory. No one would have to worry about another fight starting after the kaijin/kaiju attack. Kanu also told the three top Nanyo Fighters not to mention anything about Hakufu being OOO around Ryuubi. When they asked her why, she said that they would find out soon enough.

"Glad that's over with," Shamoku sighed as he leaned back on his chair. Hot meal, hot fights, and hot women all around and he considered it a good day. "Definitely not like any one of my other fights."

"Same here," Ryomou nodded. "I still can't believe that we helped save the entire city from a kaiju attack."

"Yeah well, OOO did do most of the work," Gakushu admitted.

"He was so awesome!" Ryuubi gushed. "The way he swung around the monster with his whips and dug the coins out! And then when he finished it of with a shining drop kick! –sigh- He was incredible."

"I sure don't remember the last time you were this ecstatic," Chou'un giggled.

Ryomou meanwhile just looked at Ryuubi oddly. _'She thinks Hakufu is a guy?_' She blinked. Was this why Kanu warned them not to expose their leader's identity? Why would the Seito leader think OOO was a man in the first place? Her voice should have been a pretty big tip off.

"Sure, OOO is definitely amazing," Kanu said with her left eyebrow twitching slightly.

"You know something," Saji began, leaning on his top palm, "OOO is too short of a name."

"What do you mean?" Ryomou asked him.

"Check this out," he said, bring out a newspaper. On it was a picture of two armoured people. One of them wore half-green and half-black armor while the other wore red armor.

"More armoured fighters?" asked Ryomou, curious.

"Yeah, and they're called 'Kamen Riders'," said Saji. "So, why don't we call OOO 'Kamen Rider OOO**'**?"

"Hey, that sounds like an awesome name!" Hakufu grinned. "Okay, it's decided! From now on, OOO will be known as Kamen Rider OOO!"

"Oh yes!" Ryuubi nodded energetically. "That sounds like such a great name for OOO-sama!"

"All right then," Saji grinned, raising his glass. "To Kamen Rider OOO?"

"To Kamen Rider OOO!" Hakufu and Ryuubi cheered as they raised their own glasses. "KAMPAI!"

"How do I end up hanging out with you people?" Ankh asked sourly into his glass of juice. "Kamen Rider. What a ridiculous name."

* * *

**Shu House**

"What a day…" sighed Hakufu as she soaked in the bathtub. "And I thought being a Fighter was stressful." Fighting so many times in one day left her feeling the aches and pains now that it was a done and over with. Still, it was incredibly exciting so she wouldn't really trade it for anything else in the world. She was able to help a lot of people and fight exciting battles like out of her favourite television shows. Life was great!

Meanwhile, Ankh and Goei were in the sitting room with Ankh admiring the newly acquired Tako, Unagi and Cheetah Medals. He was munching on some takoyaki which Goei had procured in the woman's subtle attempts to get him to eat something other than his popsicles. "Hm, we lost Gameru's Gorilla Medal and Uva's Kamakiri Medal, but we still managed to get these as well. It's not too much of a loss."

"Sounds like it was a good day then," Goei nodded. She had been subtly drawing details of what had happened during the day out of her possessed nephew. So far, she was relieved that her daughter hadn't gotten too roughed up despite how much violence had occurred during the day. She may have known how rough a Fighter's life could be but she still worried. "It also means more weapons for that suit of armour if I'm not mistaken?"

"Right," Ankh nodded. "More weapons mean more Medals. That's good news for me."

A soft knocking interrupted the conversation, which got Goei to head for the door to see who it was. Ankh casually ignored the proceedings in favour of slipping the Medals into his true arm before returning it to its disguised form. Once more he concentrated on his takoyaki so he could wait for Hakufu to return from the bath so they could talk strategy and she could get a scolding for losing the Kamakiri and Gorilla Medals. Still, he wasn't too upset since she managed to get four Medals to replace the two she lost. Maybe she wasn't as much of a goof up as he thought.

"Kokin, we're having a guest with us tonight!" Goei's voice called out.

Ankh rolled his eyes in annoyance. Calling him by his host's name meant that someone who didn't have a clue about the dealings with OOO, Greeed, and the Medals had arrived. If he didn't want to make the situation that more complicated, he would have to keep his mouth shut about what he and Hakufu were up to and at least try to be pleasant or else it may end up making his situation that much worse. Suppressing a scowl, he turned towards the door Goei had exited through.

"That's fine…Aunt Goei," Ankh replied with a shudder, his voice sounding closer to Kokin's than his own at the moment. "We have plenty of space."

Goei returned to the room with her usual smile, but with her was someone new. The guest turned out to be a teenage girl who seemed to be the same age as Hakufu, if not a year or so younger. She wore a dark green dress with a white blouse topped off with a light green vest tied shut at the collar with a red ribbon. She wore simple shoes and white socks, making her seem like a very innocent school girl. She had a cute face with innocent looks and bright green eyes. Her face was framed with curly pale blonde hair tamed with a red hair band. Dangling from her ear was a golden magatama which marked her as a powerful Fighter despite her appearance. In her hands were suitcases which meant she had been travelling and likely going to be staying for a while.

And she was smiling joyously at Ankh.

"Kokin-niisama!" the girl squealed. Dropping her luggage, she seemed to leap across the distance between herself and Ankh before glomping onto the possessed boy with all her might. She gripped him tightly, burying her face into his chest as they both fell to the floor. "Oh Kokin-niisama! I'm so glad you're okay! I've been so worried about you and had this foreboding feeling that something terrible had happened to you!"

"Huh? What the-?" Ankh cried out. "Oi! Just who the hell are you?"

"Huh?" the girl blinked, looking up at Ankh's face with confusion.

"Why Kokin, don't you remember?" asked Goei, expertly covering for Ankh's apparent slip. "This is Sonken Chuubou, Hakufu's little sister."

"HUH?"

"And your future bride Kokin-niisama!" declared Sonken, beaming.

"EEEEHHHH?"

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

Total Core Medals Lost: Gorilla and Kamakiri

Total Core Medals Gained: Unagi, Tako x2 and Cheetah

**-COUNT THE MEDALS-**

"Hello everybody!" Hakufu called out as she mounted the colourful stage, microphone in hand within the midst of multiple cheers. "I'm Hakufu Sonsaku, welcoming you back to the special series Count the Medals! Your source for all things related to the Core Medals!" More cheers erupted in response to her announcement. "With me tonight is our special guest host, one of the greatest Fighters out there, Kanu Unchou!"

Kanu appeared, walking out from the side stage with her own microphone and waving to the cheering audience, "Hello everyone."

"Well, the past two chapters really weren't fun," Hakufu sighed. "I lost two of the Core Medals! Even though I managed to get four back, Ankh still wasn't that happy with me!"

"I don't think anything would make him particularly happy," Kanu sighed, glancing at her fellow Fighter with some amount of pity. "I for one am just glad that we at Seito know what's going on. Stumbling around in the dark is not what I would call a good strategy."

"Well, I'm sure glad you're on our side Kanu!" Hakufu grinned. Turning to the camera, she continued. "Okay everyone, since it's been two chapters since we all got together, you're in for a special treat today! We're going to review TWO Medals instead of just one! So let's get this part started with our first Medal…" drum rolls sounded off.

"**TORA!**"

"The Tora Medal!" Hakufu cheered. "This is one of the Medals I use to become the TaToBa Combo as OOO. It's also one of the first Medals I ever got from Ankh-chan!"

"It's distinguishable by its yellow colour and the tiger emblem carved on its surface, hence the name," Kanu explained. "This Medal in particular comes from Kazali the cat Greeed. Ankh stole this Medal from him during the Greeed's initial escape from their sealed tomb. You can also be assured that he wants it back."

"That's for sure," Hakufu nodded. "While I'm using the Tora Medal, my torso gains yellow armour and I get equipped with the Tora Claws. These are super sharp gauntlets which are great for speedy attacks or in case I'm in close with whoever it is I'm fighting. I also know that it makes up one part of a Combo, but since I'm still missing the last Medal, we can't figure out what it is yet."

"We will eventually," Kanu reassured the Sho Hao. She ten turned back to the audience to continue the presentation. "Alongside the Tora Medal, Ankh regularly hands out another Medal to Hakufu in her fights. It's known as…"

"**BATTA!**"

"The Batta Medal," Kanu finished. "This Medal in particular is used as the legs in the TaToBa Combo when Hakufu transforms into OOO."

"Yup! It's real easy to notice since it's all green and has a grasshopper marking on it!" Hakufu smiled. "The green colour and bug markings mean that this Medal came from Uva-chan! Like the Tora Medal, Ankh-chan stole this one from Uva-chan while they were escaping from the tomb. He's come after me a few times to try and get it back."

"And he did get one back," Kanu reminded the blonde, making her pout. "When Hakufu uses this Medal, she becomes equipped with the Batta Legs. They are lightweight and easy to manoeuvre in, which is perfect for this combo. It also increases her jumping and kicking strength."

"Not only that, it makes up part of the GataKiriBa Combo," Hakufu added. "When I use it with the Kamakiri and Kuwagata Medals, their power becomes that much more potent! I won't say much more since we'll save GataKiriBa for another session."

"Combined together, Taka, Tora, and Batta make the TaToBa Combo which makes up Hakufu's basic abilities as OOO," Kanu spoke up. "You can be rest assured that we will be seeing more of it in the future."

"You bet!" Hakufu grinned. "Well, that's it for us on Count the Medals. So this is Hakufu Sonsaku,"

"And Kanu Unchou,"

"Signing off!" Hakufu waved. "Bye bye!"


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: We do not own Kamen Rider OOO or Ikki Tousen. Those belong to their respective creators and not us. Sorry gold diggers.

**OOO MEDALS OF IKKI TOUSEN**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin, Talismo4ever and Kamen Rider Chrome**

**Chapter 7: Of a Firefly, Gynophobia, and a Union of the Three Schools**

* * *

**The Core Medals that Hakufu and Ankh currently have are:**

**Red (Ankh): Taka x2**

**Yellow (Kazali): Tora, Cheetah**

**Green (Uva): Kuwagata, Batta**

**Blue (Mezul): Unagi, Tako x2**

* * *

The Moth Yummy's attack on Kanto was what really got people's attention. A large insect that could make anything it came into contact with melt would defiantly raise heads. The adult community could only give out possible theories to the incident. Some paranoid officials suggested that it was a terrorist attack of some kind. Some figured that could have been an experiment gone wrong, basing their ideas solely from science fiction. However, nether theories had the evidence to back them up.

Only the teenaged Fighters, namely the schools of Nanyo, Seito and Kyosho, knew exactly what was going on. They only had a gist of the enemy they were facing, but they knew enough. The trouble was that this enemy was much stronger than they could ever hope to be. Fortunately, one of them had the power to "borrow" the abilities of their enemies. That allowed the field to be evened out, for now.

Two days after the Silkworm Yummy's attack, several Nanyo students were gathered in a dimmed classroom and were sitting in front of a projector screen. Next to it was a young woman who was about as tall as Kanu. She wore the standard Nanyo uniform which hugged her curved figure quite nicely, and wore brown metallic boots with silver strips running on the front that went up her thighs. She had fair skin, long blue hair that was tied in a pony tail and predatory blue eyes that could appear intimidating or sexy depending on her mood. On her right ear was a silver bead, indicating that she was a powerful Fighter. Her name was Shuutai Youhei, an animalistic Fighter that Nanyo had under their ranks.

As a commanding officer who worked under Ryomou, she was one of the few who would give out commands to the lesser Fighters. While she prided herself in her skills, she would rather spend her time to search for Mr. Right, and none of the male Fighters of Nanyo held her interest. She was one of the girls who could attest with Saji certainly being a delicious companion, but she could tell that her superior already had a thing for him. Besides, she was more interested in someone younger, and a bit more innocent.

Hey, it's not so bad if he was close to her age. Besides, who says that all girls were innocent anyway?

"Unknown Lifeform #1: the Bear Yummy. It appeared shortly after the bombing in the Kanto Art Museum," Shuutai spoke, as she pointed at the screen with an LED light pen. "It caused severe injuries on several bystanders before the armored fighter called OOO destroyed it. Next slide please."

The pictured switched to a blurred image of a large bee crashing through one of the classrooms. "This is Unknown Lifeform #2: the Bee Yummy: It was created from Saji Genpou's 'desires' and allegedly fed on bras and underwear to become stronger. It grew into a large bee in the shopping district where it was eliminated by OOO. Next."

The picture switched to several shark creatures exiting Seito. "Unknown Lifeform #3, also known as the Shark Yummy. This particular Yummy spawned from the leader of Seito could duplicate itself. The army was capable of shooting high-speed water balloons as a primary attack and could sink into the ground as if it were water. OOO used an interesting ability to deal with them. Next slide please."

The picture showed a cat-like creature. "This is Unknown Lifeform #4: the Panther Yummy. This creature possessed Kyosho's Kakoton and forced him to go on a berserk rampage. Its hard muscles were tougher than stone and it could fire powerful energy beams that could obliterate anything it came into contact with. With the help of Ryomou and Kyosho's top Fighters, OOO was able to defeat it. Next please."

The picture shifted to a white insect breaking into a shop, "Lastly we have the Silkworm Yummy, Unknown Lifeform #5. Its 'parent' was Chouhi Ekitoku. It fed on junk food to gain power. It evolved into a large moth monster and nearly destroyed the city before our Big Four and the Tiger Generals teamed up with OOO to bring it down."

The lights turned back on as the projector program on the computer was turned off. "Now as you probably already know, the monsters that recently appeared are much stronger than we are, already defeating the strongest Fighters in a matter of seconds. So far, the only one who can fight them hand to hand is the mysterious Kamen Rider OOO. Our leaders seem to know her identity, having meeting her several times already, but are being tight lipped about it."

"Why would they not tell us?" one of the boys present asked. "I think we all got the right to know."

"I don't know," Shuutai shrugged. "Perhaps OOO isn't really a Fighter, and they're keeping her safe from some idiot Fighters who may want the power for themselves."

"So… can whoever is causing this really use us to create these monsters?" the voice of a timid girl asked.

"It's true," the taller girl nodded, flicking up a coin. "They can use these silver coins and drop it into our heads to create them. Whichever desire we have which is strongest, the Yummy will feed on it. This is why Ryomou gave me this order: do not engage the Yummy at any cost. Only fight if you have no other choice. If you see the Yummy, immediately alert, her, Hakufu, Kokin, Gakushu or Saji. They know where to find OOO. That's all, you're all dismissed."

* * *

The Kougami Biotech Laboratory was where the Medal System was born. This was where the Ride Vendors and Candroids were designed and developed. They had numerous technicians, engineers and researchers working around the clock to develop the Kougami Foundation's Medal System and one man had been put in charge of the laboratory since he was the father of the Medal System. While not a harsh man, the other workers would go out of their way to avoid him, the enigmatic Dr. Maki.

Dr. Kiyoto Maki was a stoic man who dressed in black and wore glasses. What made him eccentric was the fact that he carried a doll on his arm, a creepy looking figure with no hair and dressed in a white suit which contrasts with Dr. Maki's black clothing. He was the kind of man who would search for the end result of things.

At the moment, Dr. Maki was sitting in Kousei Kougami's office with Kougami's secretary Satonaka and they were having a 'birthday party'.

"Today it has been ten years since you've worked for me and developed the Medal System," said Kougami and then in a loud voice he declared, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MEDAL SYSTEM!"

"Yes, indeed," said Dr. Maki as he adjusted his glasses, obviously far from enthusiastic about the unfolding celebrations. He had grown used to his boss' habit of celebrating birthdays and making cakes. In Kougami's mind, the birth of all things good or bad was a miraculous thing. Dr. Maki, however, thought otherwise.

"So, have you learnt anything new about OOO?" questioned Kougami, still tending to his newest cake so to commemorate the achievement. Still, he was a businessman and had to get a few details out of the way now that he managed to get in contact with his head scientist once again.

"Yes, I have," Dr. Maki replied, but rather than talk to his boss, his gaze was instead focused on the doll sitting on his arm.

"SPLENDID!" Kougami loudly declared, apparently not at all offended by Dr. Maki's refusal to look at him. "And how goes the development of the new Candroids?"

Rather than reply with words, Dr. Maki reached into his coat and produced a trio of Candroids. These ones were a different shade of blue than the Takocans and were sporting an eel marking on their sides. Setting the cans to rest on his boss' desk, Dr. Maki looked at his doll again.

"The Unagi Candroid prototypes are ready," answered Dr. Maki.

"AMAZING!" Kougami cheered, "SATONAKA-KUN, PLEASE SUMMON GOTO-KUN TO MY OFFICE!"

"Yes, sir," said Satonaka. She bowed and went on her way.

"It is amazing, don't you agree?" Kougami smiled. "Centuries ago, the power of the Core Medals was used by a king. And now today, that same power is being harnessed by a descendant of another king. Strange isn't it?"

"Indeed," Maki nodded. "It is as if the one who dons the armor is royalty in one way or another."

"And it is thanks to her that we have gained so many Cell Medals!" Kougami boomed. With a snap of his fingers, the floor space between them opened up, showing a pile of silver Cell Medals below. "Cell Medals are the source of infinite energy! With them, you can power anything from the smallest house appliance to a large power plant! To imagine that such power lies within these medals is an enigma! Which reminds me; how goes the other project of yours?"

"Preparations are almost complete," Dr. Maki said stoically, "I will soon find a suitable candidate for the system."

"Subarashi!"

* * *

Ankh was annoyed, really annoyed. The reason for his annoyance was not Hakufu this time but the new girl who'd just arrived. Chuubou Sonken had arrived to Kanto after she seemingly sensed something happening to the pretty boy that he was currently possessing. How was it that she was Hakufu's sister? He had looked through his host's memories and none of them showed a girl with blonde hair and green eyes. That and it was very hard to believe that this girl was related to the bratty Little Conqueror at all. Both girls were like black and white. But to hear her declare that she was his future wife was something he really choked on. An arranged marriage? Not in a hundred years. Now he really needed his Core Medals back to try and find a way to fix the boy, and fast.

"Kokin-niisama, are you ill? You are starting to look pale."

The duo of Fighters and single Greeed were walking to Nanyo for another day of school. Well, Hakufu and Ankh were. Chuubou was just walking beside Ankh so to "keep him company". Hakufu had also met Chuubou after she was done with her bath on the day the Moth Yummy left its mark on the city. She greeted her warmly, but Ankh could tell that she had never met her before. That only gave him more reason to wonder if the girls really were sisters. Goei of course was absolutely no help, being completely silent on the subject. She kept muttering about "dalliances" and "summer flings" which may have explained how Chuubou was Hakufu's sister, but the old woman was shrewd and knew more than she let on which only made Ankh suspicious.

"Kokin-niisama?" Chuubou tried again, seeing "Kokin's" face stuck in a frown.

"I'm fine," Ankh retorted promptly, mimicking Kokin's voice. "You really didn't have to come with us."

"But I wanted to see your school," Chuubou replied, a calming smile on her face. "That way I can meet all of your friends and see what it's like."

"Oh it's great!" Hakufu grinned. "I can introduce you to Mou-chan, and Gaku-chan, and Saji-chi, and all of my friends! They'll just love you!"

"Especially the womanizer," Ankh muttered under his breath.

What made the situation all the more aggravating was that Chuubou was sticking to Ankh like glue. She would follow him practically everywhere and tried to help him in different ways. She'd make meals, pick up his laundry, try to peek over his shoulder while he looked up messages about the other Greeed. Were it not because of the cover he had to maintain as Hakufu's cousin, he would have told her off long ago. It was especially irritating to deal with that bright and sunny smile of hers as she tried different means to get closer to his host. Couldn't the girl take a hint?-!

* * *

Speaking of the other Greeed, they were planning on blending in more with human society…

* * *

**Seito**

"Stay close Gama-chan and don't get lost."

"Hai Mezul…"

"Gama-chan, remember it's Mizu when I look like this."

"Hai, Mizu…"

"Fufufu, good boy."

The Seito schoolgrounds were being treated to an unusual sight that morning as several students were heading in for school. Rather than a monster, an invasion of Fighters, or just a regular attack on their turf, the various students were being treated to the sight of a pair of new students.

The first was a girl who stood tall and confident. She was dressed in a Seito uniform and needless to say it looked very good on her. She had long dark hair tied in twin ponytails and many of the Fighters took pleasure in the sight that a magatama was hanging from her ear. What was odd though was the colour of the mystical bead. Rather than being jade, white, red, magenta, gold, silver, or bronze the bead that the girl was wearing was a shade of blue that would easily match the color of the ocean. She was attractive though and had a nice slim figure even if her chest didn't compare to the likes of Ryuubi.

Being guided by the new girl hand in hand was a boy who looked rather shy as his eyes darted over everything around him. He seemed to be of more muscular stock, but the way he was hunched over and nibbling on his knuckle made him seem as nervous as a child. Many of the more matronly female students were cooing over him. His hair was spiked and on his ear was a gray magatama, some of the Fighters believing the bead to be made of stone rather than a precious metal like theirs.

The two new students were in fact Mezul and Gameru, two of the Greeed in human form. They, along with Uva and Kazali, were going to infiltrate the schools to find more information on the present OOO. They decided that their previous human forms were not good enough to infiltrate a high school, with their forms looking too young or too old to do so. To that end, they had to make a few adjustments. Modern day OOO was a lot different from the original so they needed to know more about her background. Also, this would let them scope out new prey to spawn Yummy from. Since Gameru wouldn't go anywhere without Mezul, that meant the two would enroll in the same school together, in the same class, taking on pseudonyms to blend in.

Mezul wasn't ignorant and saw how the guys were checking her out. Humans were driven by desire and these boys desired her. She had only just stepped onto the grounds and already she had such fertile little toys to play with. She was going to like it here.

* * *

**Youshu Territory**

The area which Youshu had managed to scrape up for itself was never particularly inviting. Often enough the Fighters there were prone to attack people they didn't like, rob the unsuspecting pedestrian, or cause more than their share of vandalism. When Taishigi Shigi showed up, it got a little better since none of the Youshu Fighters wanted to cross one of the best Fighters in Kanto even if he was on their side. After Hanno and Ryuyou tried to kill him though, the Fighters quickly went back to their old habits. When they were crushed by Hakufu Sonsaku in one night, and then by a reluctant Kakoton Genjou several days ago, it became a scramble to try and reclaim their former power in this current situation.

Today would be another example of pain, but now from the Youshu Fighters.

**POW!**

"ARRG!" A Youshu Fighter yelled as he went down with a punch. The thrower of said punch grinned as he flicked his wrist. He was a teenage boy of average height with strange white hair that was tied in a ponytail, wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt and brown jeans with white sneakers. Around his neck was a sacred bead with an odd color of yellow, making his rank ambiguous. Many of his recent opponents thought it meant that they would have an easy fight ahead of them. They quickly learned otherwise.

"Aww, that was no fun at all," the boy, Kazali, or Kaz as he called himself in this form, mocked. "You guys are too weak. You sure you're all Fighters?"

"Gaa... bastard..." the drowned Fighter moaned, slowly getting on his knees, "We're not-"

**BAM!**

Kazali silenced him with a swift kick to the head, sending him sliding backwards to a wall, where he made a deep imprint on impact. Chuckling, he stuck his hands in his pockets and took a moment to admire his handiwork "I'm sorry, I did here you over that loud gust."

"Hey smartass!"

Kazali swiftly moved around and grabbed a metal rod that was meant for his head. The attacker was a teenager with deep frown. He was wearing a yellow sweater and black jeans with a bucket hat and a goatee. His magatama was magenta, marking him as one of the lower ranker Fighters in the area. His name was Hannou, a dishonorable Fighter, and one of the first Fighters Hakufu faced. Well, one of the first Fighters she faced outside of her challenges at Nanyo where she first came into the war.

"Oh! And you are?" Kazali smirked, pushing the rod back.

"You got some nerve showing your face here," Hannou frowned, getting some distance. "Now I'm going to mess it up!"

"Well by all means, bring it on," Kazali snickered. He was going to have fun with this one.

As Kazali and Hannou were staring each other down, loud crashes and sounds of punching, cries of pain, and even the odd bone snapping were heard down one of the connecting alleyways. Suffles were heard before several Figthers were hurled out of the alley and into the area where Kazali and Hanno were about to begin fighting. All of the thrown fighters were black, blue, and bloody with some of their limbs twisted in odd directions. The ones that were still conscious were in absolute agony, indicating that they must have had internal damage as well.

Waltzing out of the alley was a young man in a bright green jacket with black pants and dark sneakers. His shirt was black with a splatter-like design on it and tied to a string which was wrapped around his wrist was a bright green magatama which could have been mistaken for a jade one to those who didn't pay attention to it. He didn't have a mark on his face and was actually smirking at what he had done to the group of Fighters he had destroyed.

Uva, or rather Uma in his human form, leaned over the down Fighters and began picking up their magatamas. Collecting one from each of the downed enemies, he stood up before glancing at his yellow-clad comrade, Oi, Kaz! Finish up with the small fry already! I want to end this sometime today!"

"Right, right," Kazali snickered. "This won't take a moment."

"Smug bastard!" Hannou growled. Raising his weapon he made a charge to cave in Kazali's head. "I'll kill you!"

**POW!**

Hannou's vision went up in stars as Kazali planted a fierce uppercut into his chin. The Fighter actually did a backflip from the force before landing on his stomach with a loud groan. He didn't move after that, indicating that he was either knocked out or just in too much pain to do anything about it.

"And I thought Youshu Fighters were supposed to be tricky," Kazali snickered as he leaned down and took Hannou's magatama.

Across from where the two Greeed in disguise were busy collecting the magatama of their opponents, the forms of Kakuka and Kaku were watching the pair with calculating eyes.

Both Kaz and Uma had just shown up on Kyosho's doorstep declaring that they were going to join up with Kyosho Academy. Naturally, several of the Fighters didn't take such a blatant announcement well and wanted to put the two down a peg. However, Sousou had gotten involved and reminded them that with the monsters running around, they were going to need all the help they could get. Still, Kyosho only accepted strong Fighters and that was one rule Sousou wasn't going to bend. So he offered the two a test. They were to go into the territory of Nanyo, Seito, Youshu, Yoshuu, or Ryoshu and take on their Fighters. Both were to return with twenty magatama as well as have Kaku and Kakuka witness every fight. If they succeeded, Sousou would admit them into their ranks.

Kaku had considered the two more talk than action when they announced they would go into Youshu territory for their magatama beads. However, they quickly proved her wrong when they went straight up to the heart of Youshu and started beating up every Fighter they could get their hands on. Kaku had heard the term curb-stomp to describe unbelievably one-sided battles but she had never actually been privy to seeing it happen.

Kakuka had reserved judgment on the two before he saw what was happening before him. He knew from experience that Youshu Fighters relied more on trickery and numbers to win their fights. Not a bad strategy in theory, but when the only Fighters they had on hand were little more than street thugs rather than trained martial artists the odds didn't look so good for Youshu in the first place. He guessed that rather than outright power struggles as fighting most of the other schools would have, Kaz and Uma wanted to challenge their skills against Fighters who would play dirty rather than simply overpower them. It certainly showed off their skill in his mind. Up until the Youshu Fighters tried their usual numbers trick.

Now the battles were over now and the victors were collecting their spoils.

"They certainly seem powerful enough," Kaku commented as she adjusted her glasses.

"Mn," Kakuka nodded. "During these times that'll be a good thing. Something's bothering you though."

Kaku nodded. Somehow the blonde general always seemed to know when she was thinking about something. It was rather sweet… "Seeing them in action has me wondering. Why haven't we heard of them before now? If we heard of Fighters like them who were unaffiliated, we would have tried to recruit them or kill them long ago. It's almost like they came out of nowhere."

"Yeah, but you know how many smaller schools are out there," Kakuka nodded. "We can't keep our eyes and ears on all of them. They probably were at one of the other schools outside of our territory or at one of the places we hold in reserve and just decided we're the best bet for winning, or at least surviving."

"Maybe," Kaku admitted. "But something's still bothering me."

Conversation was cut off as the two Kyosho hopefuls returned with handfuls of magatamas. Kaz held his out first to Kakuka, "Well here you go 'general'."

"Right," the blonde nodded as he took the beads. Eyeing them for a count, he poured them into a bag he had brought along. "This easily puts you past thirty. So Kaz passes." He looked to Kaku. "What about Uma?"

"Thirty-nine by my count," the strategist replied as she took the beads from the green-clad young man. "Both of them pass."

"And you called this a test?" Uma snickered.

"It keeps the riff-raff out," Kaku shot back.

"Enough," Kakuka sighed. "You guys both make the cut. Welcome to Kyosho Academy. Now let's talk to Sousou and see if we're needed for anything else."

* * *

**Seito**

Mezul and Gameru had both managed to blend into the Seito ranks just as quickly as Kazali and Uva had, if not faster. They were calling themselves, in human form, Mizu Shauta and Gama Sagozo. Needless to say, the pair became popular quite fast. Mezul gained quite a number of female fans, almost enough to rival the number of admirers that Kanu had. A few boys had even tried to ask her on a date, but Gameru wouldn't have any of that. A lot of the girls thought it was sweet of him to defend her and and often spoke about how loyal he was to her. A lot of people assumed that they were dating.

As for Shamoku, he himself got accustomed to Seito rather fast. Kanu told the other Fighters in their school that due to the outbreak of monsters, Shamoku would be staying with them for the time being so to protect their leader. Everyone knew all about Shamoku the Barbarian King and were all intimidated by him at first when Kanu spread the word to the other officers within the Seito Fighters. Ryuubi got worried that everyone wouldn't accept him, but Shamoku reassured her that they'd all get used to him soon, just as everyone in his Teikoku Academy did when he became leader. He was at least accepting of the Seito generals, if not a little too much as he admired their "deadly weapons".

At the moment, Shamoku was walking with Ryuubi and Kuma-chan to Seito. The rest of Ryuubi's bodyguards had already gone ahead, leaving it to Shamoku to escort her safely. In his hand, he held a grey soda can with an image of a gorilla on it, and he was eying it with uncertainty. Ryuubi, once again riding on the back of the bear, wondered what was so important about the can.

"What kind of drink is that, Sha-chan?" Ryuubi asked.

"It's not soda," Shamoku answered. "It just looks like one." He snapped the tab open, and it flipped into the form of a robotic gorilla, which grunted cutely.

"Whaa! So cute!" Ryuubi squealed.

"You like it?" Shamoku smiled at his childhood friend. He handed the tiny machine to her, "Here, you can have it. Don't think I really need it for anything anyway."

"Thank you Sha-chan!" Ryuubi beamed. She took the small ape and cuddled it to her cheek. "Oh... it's so cute! Where did you get it?"

"Some guy on a motorcycle gave a whole case of them to me, and said it was a birthday present from an important man," Shamoku said, "Funny thing is that my birthday isn't for the next few months."

"Birthday present?" Ryuubi blinked. She was going to ask him why a random person would give him a birthday present, and at the wrong date, when she was interrupted.

"Excuse me? Excuse me?"

Shamoku turned to the sound of the voice to see who was approaching him. It was a boy who was rather short for his age, around an inch or two shorter than Ryuubi herself. He was wearing a red and black letter jacket, with a white shirt with the symbols for Alpha and Omega stitched together if one could look closely. He also had on black jeans, black fingerless gloves with metal knuckles, and black and green sneakers. His golden blond hair was shoulder-length and his electric blue eyes looked rather lazy, despite the shy look on his face. Lastly, a red bead hung from his left ear.

"Yeah? What's up little man?" Shamoku asked, looking for any signs that he wasn't a threat. As shy as the boy looked, he could tell that magatama did not accurately rank his abilities.

"Ano... do you know where I can find Nanyo Academy?" the boy asked shyly, twitching his thumbs together. "My gramps told me that I was transferring there... but I got lost..."

"Nanyo?" Shamoku blinked, scratching his head. "Sorry, I don't know the way."

"I know the directions," Ryuubi offered, making the boy's eyes snap to her. The blonde-haired boy's pupils starting to shrink as he slowly started to tremble and whimper.

"Hey... you alright?" Shamoku asked him.

"I... I GOT TO GO!" the boy yelped, in near fear, and ran off into the distance before either Shamoku, Kuma-chan, or Ryuubi could blink.

"He didn't even wait for the directions," Ryuubi blinked.

"Weird," Shamoku sighed.

* * *

**Kyosho**

Inside one of the storage rooms where Kyosho students would store signs and such for school festivals in order to show an image of a regular school to the adult population, Sousou and Kakoton were seated in folding chairs at opposite sides of a table with a black box open before them. Inside were four silver cans, each marked with a gorilla marking. Kakoton looked a little nervous while Sousou's eyes were narrowed on the box.

Kakoton was back to normal after his berserk rampage had ended. He was left with a number of injuries from all the "training" he did, which was the kind of condition that he had not been in a long time. Thankfully, after a long rest and a lot of food, he was back on his two feet. When Sousou asked what happened to him, he said that he was attacked by a talking cat of some kind that just took his hits with barely a blink. That alone spoke just what they were up against, with only a few Fighters able to have a chance against Kakoton, but none able to bring him down in just one or two hits. At least, not without some kind of dirty tactic.

"So some guy in a motorcycle outfit just drove up to you and handed over these things?" asked Sousou.

"Yeah," Kakoton nodded, picking up a can. "I wasn't sure what to make of them but I was kind of thirsty and decided to crack one open. Check this out," he pulled the tab on the silver can and rather than hearing the noise of a soda being ready to drink, a mechanical noise was heard before the 'soda' can leaped up and transformed into a small gorilla. The tiny robot made a few hooting noises before it began to wander around the surface of the table.

"What the-?" Sousou blinked in shock.

"I know! Freaked me out too!" Kakoton nodded. "The biker guy said that these would serve as a warning system. What it's supposed to warn us about though I have no clue."

"Hmm," Sousou frowned, leaning back in his chair. "There's more to this than we know."

Sousou's introspection was suddenly interrupted by his cell phone going off. Digging it out of his pocket, he flipped it open to see a text message addressed to him. Tapping the 'accept' button, he read the lines which appeared. After a moment, a small grin came to his face. "Well I'll be. Looks like those two jokers that showed up this morning got what it takes after all. They went straight to the heart of Youshu and took out almost forty Fighters each. They even got Hannou in the process."

"Wow! No kidding?-!" Kakoton gaped. "That's pretty good! I might be strong, but with how those guys fight I wouldn't get away with fighting forty of them without getting a mark or two to show for it."

"Yeah, which makes it more impressive that these guys got out unscathed," Sousou nodded. "They sure picked the right time to show up. With guys like them on our side, we'll be ready for any monster that comes our way."

"All that leaves now is to tell the other guys of all the craziness that's been going on," Kakoton said.

* * *

**That Night in Nanyo Territory**

Shuutai was a woman on the prowl and she always got what she wanted. Her territory at the moment was a nightclub filled with dancing people and loud music, mixed with a healthy dose of flashing lights. Her quarry was a handsome man with some innocence in his features. Her weapons were a black tube dress, her usual boots, and a red jacket which contrasted pleasantly with her hair. Her face was dolled up to its best and she made sure the dress was tight enough to emphasize her physical assets. Naturally she got a fair amount of attention from boys, but she was looking for a specific kind of reaction.

It had been a long day at Nanyo, what with many Fighters wanting to know just where their leaders were getting information about the Yummies and OOO from. Shuutai figured that OOO herself had told them, but she wasn't even sure about that. Ryomou wasn't the type to give information freely. When she wanted you to know something, she told you the parts you needed to know and that was it. Gakushu and Saji were as tight-lipped while Kokin was in a bad mood recently. Possibly it was because of that Chuubou girl who was trying to stay attached to his arm like a limpet. Shuutai would have asked Hakufu herself, but access to her was strictly limited so she could only hear requests and definitely not meet anybody.

There were a lot of questions, but right now Shuutai didn't care. She wasn't on duty and thus it was time for her to play hard!

Squeezing through several enthusiastic dancers, she eyed a couple of guys who were taking notice of her thanks to how she dressed. The ones who leered at her she ignored. The ones who glanced at her but then looked away before glancing again she considered a bit more seriously. Could mean they were shy, or maybe they were with someone and didn't want to get caught staring. She would have to investigate.

Coming out of a particularly tight group where she had to break some fingers of one punk who tried to cop a feel, Shuutai noticed someone standing against the wall with his hands stuffed in his pockets. His green jacket stood out even in the darkness of the club while the rest of his clothes made him almost invisible. His hands were stuck in his pockets, but she could see the gleam of a magatama on his wrist. He didn't seem wholly interested in dancing and in fact looked like he was a little out of place. Dare she think it, he looked a tad uncomfortable too.

'_Probably dragged here by some friends,_' Shuutai thought as she considered the boy. He wasn't as innocent looking as she hoped, but looks weren't everything. '_Target spotted._'

Heading over to the boy in green, she put a deliberate shake to her hips and a sweet smile on her face. He quickly took notice of her, spotting her approach. She didn't even break her stride as she kept her eyes on the prize. When she was close enough, she began her trap, "Hey there handsome. You don't look like you're having any fun."

"Mn," the boy in green shrugged. "It all sounds the same to me. Never considered dance to be worth anything either."

"Then why come?" asked Shuutai, already guessing an answer.

"A friend said it would be fun," the boy in green snorted. "I don't see the fun."

'_Hmm. A little gruff, but Fighters tend to be so. Still a chance,_" Shuutai pondered. "Well you're just looking in the wrong places. Why don't I give you the personal tour then?"

The boy considered her for a moment and Shuutai was sure he was just acting gruff and tough to hide his shy indecision. After a moment, he shrugged and relented, "Sure. Why not?"

"Lovely," Shuutai purred. "Just let me freshen up for a moment and I'll show you a great time!"

Nodding, Shuutai made a beeline straight for the ladies' room. She may have just struck paydirt! At last!

Watching the Nanyo officer go, Uva began to grin. It seemed that going to where groups of Fighters liked to hang out was a good idea after all. He couldn't search for hosts just yet in Kyosho's territory since that would put his and Kazali's identities at risk. However, it meant that his disguise was good enough to fool humans so he was able to go where the other schools liked to be and try his luck there. No one knew he ran with Kyosho just yet. Now it seemed his patience had paid off and he just found a ripe target. Standing up straight, he headed after his newest target, Cell Medals jingling in his pocket.

Inside of the ladies' room, Shuutai was adjusting her makeup and checking for imperfections. She didn't want anything to spoil her trial run of the guy she met. She would have to be careful since he was admittedly good looking and she didn't want some skank to snatch him away while she was trying to be nice and lay down some foundations to her claim. After a final check to see how her chest looked, she smiled at her reflection, "Weapons locked and loaded."

"I don't think your desire could have been any more obvious even if you shouted it to the world."

Shuutai blinked at the obvious MALE voice sounding off before the scenery behind her reflection was filled with the image of a black and green insect man. Crying out, Shuutai's mind went into Fighter mode once again and she lashed out at the monster. In a speed that made her appear invisible to the untrained eye, fist met flesh, but only the kind located in the monster's palm with a resounding smack.

"Not bad," the monster nodded. "A Fighter like you must have strong desires."

Raising his left arm, he thrust it forward before grabbing Shuutai by her neck and smashing her against the glass, making it crack violently. Shuutai choked as she struggled for breath while feeling the pain of glass shards digging into her shoulders while the sink tap was very close to giving her an enema. She struggled to get free, but was finding it all useless.

"Let's see what we get out of you, hm?" asked the monster as it retrieved a silver coin from…somewhere.

Shuutai's head suddenly felt hollow as a coin slot appeared on her forehead. The monster then brought the silver coin close before dropping it into the slot, letting the hole close again. Suddenly, a hole appeared inside the officer's body before a mummy crawled out of the green-rimmed void that the coin had created. The creature landed on the ground in a heap before struggling to its feet while the hole vanished from Shuutai's body.

"Good," the insect monster nodded, dropping Shuutai aside. "Now go make some Cell Medals!"

"Nn!" the mummy nodded before it shambled away.

"Wha..." Shuutai coughed as she slowly pulled herself up, "What did you do to me?"

"Nothing to you," the insect shrugged, "All I've done was create a Yummy from your desires. I do wonder what kind of Yummy will appear from it," chuckling ominously, monster suddenly morphed into a mass of silver coins mixed with some green ones and escaped into the AC vent. And then the screams of abject terror cut through the air.

Shuutai grimaced as she forced herself to her feet and rushed out the door. Exiting into the main room of the club, she saw the same mummy already creating havoc. What it was doing was something that you would see out of a horror movie; hugging the men in the club so tightly that they were rendered unconscious. It even pushed some of their dates out of the way so to reach its targets. Its bear hug was so harsh that she could have sworn she heard some bones snap. Dropping another victim, it glanced at one other couple that it had not yet touched.

Shuutai had seen enough.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM THEM, YOU FREAK!" the predatory-eyed girl screamed as she moved in bullet speed once more. This time though, her speed was effective, resulting in the mummy being blasted clear across the room, knocking many of the fleeing partygoers out of the way. It was her blinding speed that gave her the nickname "Blue Lighting" after all. Almost no one could see her coming until it was to late. The mummy pulled itself up as Shuutai appeared in front of it with one of her wolfish glares. While the mummy seemed to glare back, it didn't try to fight back and instead literally bulldozed many people out of its way, vanishing through the exit. Shuutai chased after it through the doorway, but saw that it was long gone. Thinking quickly, she took out her cell phone and dialed for help.

"Come on, come on..." Shuutai growled as she waited for the phone to pick up. Finally, there was a click.

_"Shuutai? You know how late it is?"_ a groggy voice on the other line said.

"Never mind that, Ryomou!" Shuutai said in a hurry. "We have another problem! A bug monster attacked me and used me to create a mummy!"

_"What?-!"_ Ryomou gaped. _"Alright, I'm fully awake now. I'll find OOO and meet you there. Keep tabs on the monster and don't let it cause more damage!"_

"Gotcha!" Shuutai nodded and closed her phone. Setting it back into her pocket, she sighed, "And I lost that cute guy too."

* * *

**Shu Residence**

Hakufu's room was silent as the Sho Hao slept soundly, her covers kicked off in her fitful sleep, revealing her simple sleeping dress and panties. She was snoring audiably and mumbling in her sleep. She was also smiling, indicating that she was having a pleasant dream if nothing else.

*RING! RING!*

"Mnnnn…" Hakufu moaned as she rolled to slap her alarm clock. "Stupid clock."

*RING! RING!*

"Rrrr..." Hakufu growled lowly as she slapped her clock again.

*RING! RING!*

"You little-!" Hakufu snarled as she shot up and grabbed her clock to crush it. Realization soon struck her as she blinked. "Hey, that's not..."

*RING! RING!*

Dropping her clock, she looked to the source of the noise and found it was coming from her backpack. Wondering why someone would call her so late at night, she got up and walked over to the sound. Looking through her bag, she found that the noise was coming from her Batta Candroid. Realizing that it was some kind of emergency since someone was using the Candroid, she quickly snapped it opened. "Hello?"

_"About time you answered!"_ Ryomou's agitated voice said. _"Listen Hakufu, another Yummy has appeared. Since this victim was one of my subordinates and that she told me herself, I think it may be one of Uva's!"_

"Alright, Mou-chan," Hakufu nodded. "I'll go wake up Ankh-chan and meet you there!" She deactivated the Candroid before scrambling to get some decent clothes on. Once fully dressed, she slipped out of her room as silently as she could. Everyone else was asleep and she needed to do this without waking her mom and/or Chuubou. Mimicking some stunts that she saw in a spy movie, she swiftly dodged from support beam to support beam, and did a few sideway glances to make sure that she hadn't woken anyone up. Finally, she reached "Ankh's" room. Taking a deep breath to get rid of the adrenaline, she opened the door and tip-toed her way to the sleeping Greeed, whom was making loud snoring noises as he slept.

"Hey, Ankh-chan," Hakufu whispered, poking him on the forehead, "Ankh-chan wake up."

"Zzz... huh?" Ankh muttered as his eyes fluttered opened. He eyed Hakufu and rubbed his face. "What is it?"

"Mou-chan called me," she answered. "She said that another Yummy's on the loose."

"Really now?" Ankh frowned in thought, "Since I had not sensed it yet, then that means it hasn't yet matured. Ah, whatever. That's never stopped you before. By the time we get there it could be maturing anyway."

"Alright!" Hakufu smiled. "Now let's go get that Yummy!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Seito Shrine, Ryuubi was sleeping soundly as the moonlight shined her features. Next to her sat the grey Gorilla Candroid. It only sat dormant for a while before it slowly started to rattle and flip into its gorilla form. It started to grunt loudly with its arms twisting and its eyes flashing, causing Ryuubi to awake and glance at the machine, wondering what could be the problem.

* * *

In Sousou's apartment, the Kyosho leader grunted as he tossed and turn in his sleep, apparently having another nightmare. The timing to interrupt him couldn't be any better as the Gorilla Candroid suddenly started up and hooted loudly. Shooting up with a loud shout, Sousou took heavy breaths as he glanced at the strange alarm system. Whipping the cold sweat from his face, he looked to where the small machine was waving its arms and hooting loudly. The Kyosho leader remembered the machines being called a warning system and it was obvious to him that the alarm had been tripped. He could also guess what had triggered it. Reaching to his discarded pants, he retrieved his cell phone from one of the pockets. Flipping it open, he hit the speed dial before bringing it to his ear. The opposite end quickly picked up.

"Hey Ton-chan, it's me," Sousou announced.

_"So the gorilla woke you too?"_

"Yeah, and I'm actually glad for it. I have a feeling that another monster appeared. These things should be able to lead us to the source. Meet me there and bring Kakouen and Chukou with you."

_"Got it."_

* * *

**Outer Kanto**

"Haa... I'm so tired! It's already after midnight and never found Nanyo!"

The blond-haired youth that Ryuubi had accidently scared off with her presence moaned as he sight on a park benched as he chowed down on his cheeseburger. He had been walking throughout Kanto all day, unable to reach his destination. It had encountered a few thuggish Fighters who recognized him as one of them due to the red bead on his ear. They all thought that he was easy prey considering that he was often so reserved, but he quickly proved them otherwise. He may not look it, but wasn't so easy to beat. He decided that he needed a break for the day and took refuge in one of the parks.

"The only good thing about today was that I got to hit some people. I could never do that in my old school, even if I tried," he smiled to himself. Then he shuddered, "At least I didn't have to fight some g-g-g-g-girl..."

It wasn't that he hated girls or anything, it was just the fact that he had very bad experiences with the other gender. Back in his hometown, a lot if not all the girls thought he was some kind of shameless pervert. That wasn't true. He was no pervert at all. It just seemed that he was always at the wrong place at the wrong time. While girls gave him the cold shoulder, and some would just take advantage of him in one way or another, others were downright violent. They would mainly box him in and beat him up till he was bruised and bloody. He wouldn't even try and fight back. This was due to two reasons.

Before he was taken in by his gramps, he stayed at an orphanage that was being run by a feminist woman of sorts. As such, it was filled with mainly girls. He was the shortest kid there, so a lot of the girls took pleasure in bullying him. He tried to tell the headmistress about it, but she didn't believe a word. During another one of the torments, he managed to punch one to force them away. Too bad they immediately told the headmistress with some exaggerated story that he didn't really remember. The headmistress immediately responded by sending him into the "Alone Chamber" for a week, along with a lecture of why boys should never hit girls.

The other reason was more vocal. The second time he struck one of his female tormentors, they reacted three times more violently than before! He was pretty sure he could have died that day.

All of his encounters and misunderstandings with women had caused him to believe that all women were violent. Despite that, he desperately wanted a girlfriend. A really cute girlfriend. A girlfriend that he could feel comfortable around. A girlfriend that he could trust not to beat him to an inch of life. A girlfriend that he could smile at.

Too bad it was just all a dream.

"Hrrrrn..."

"What?" the gynophobic blinked as he heard the low grunt. And from what he could tell, it was very close. Like RIGHT BEHIND HIM close. He slowly turned around and gasped in shock. Right behind him was a mummy of some kind, staring at him dumbly. Without another sound, it reached out and tried to grab him into its grip.

"Toh!" the first-year yelled as he leapt up into the air and landed at a safe distance. Glaring at the mummy he entered a battle stance that was something similar to that of a certain Jeet Kune Do master, although there was a lighter spring in his feet.

"Huh, so wanna steal my face or something?" the boy challenged. "Then come and get me if you can!"

"Hhrrrr!" the mummy yelled as it leapt over the bench and charged at him. The monster came at him with left and right arm strikes, which the boy easy avoided. Dropping down, he used a flare kick to knock the mummy off its feet. He then did a handstand before hopping off his hands and aimed his feet at the mummy. It quickly rolled away from the impact and leapt to its feet. The boy knew he couldn't let this monster recover, so he rushed up and continued his rapid assault with fluid kicks and punches.

"So what woke you?" the boy asked as he continued his attacks, "Some mystical item or what? Whatever it is though, I'm sending you back to sleep!"

Shy as he may be, he was surprisingly hot-blooded when he was in battle.

Without even waiting for a valid response, he flipped over the mummy and chained in some kicks and punches before sending the mummy flying back with a powerful crescent kick. Slow inhaling, he waved his arms in front of him as afterimages followed. Slowly, a ball of green fire that was the size of a basketball formed in front of him. Once the ball was complete, he took a kata form. With a loud yell, he shot the ball forward.

The mummy got up as it saw the cold fireball rushed for it. Knowing that it was a very bad idea to be hit by it, it rolled to the side, allowing the ball to pass by. The ball went through woods before striking an unfortunate tree, which exploded as a result. The resulting impact echoed through the arena before for the damaged tree fell down with a loud crash.

* * *

Shuutai was running through the streets when she heard a loud bang. She turned to a gateway to one of the parks that Kanto hosted, which was where she heard the noise. Hoping that she wasn't too late, she made her way into the area.

* * *

The short boy panted as the mummy got back to its feet. He was surprised that it managed to avoid that chi blast of his. It looks like now he needed to try harder. Suddenly, it roared out to the heavens as its skin started to crack in green fire, much to the boy's shock. It soon exploded as its dead skin littered the ground. As the fire cleared, the boy's eyes widened as he saw a new monster in the mummy's place.

The Firefly Yummy was female looking with humanish female face that had large yellow insectoid eyes connected to a helmet which looked somewhat like a firefly's own head. Its face was lavender with full red lips. The Yummy's body was black with red accents similar to a flame's pattern and its feet looked like heeled boots. On its back was a beetle's carapace. Its assets were in D-Cup size, which juggled freely as it moved. The Firefly Yummy stretched her limbs and then looked at the boy who was now trembling at the monster before him.

His next reaction was quite understandable.

"WAAAAAAUGH!"

Screaming to the point of near hysteria, the boy simply ran for his life. No longer were his thoughts focused on defeating the monster in front of him. Once the Yummy had taken on a female form, his gynophobia kicked in and told him to run. The Yummy watched him go in what appeared to be amusement. As it watched though, it's shell opened up as a bright light shone from within. Suddenly, the Yummy charged forward at an incredible speed with only a trail of light signaling its movement. The trail of light could be seen following the young Fighter before moving ahead of him and coming to a stop where the Firefly Yummy was standing…and right when the Fighter ran into its boobs.

"Oh no…" the boy stuttered as he backed away and dropped to his butt, awaiting another possible beatdown. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a motorcycle engine roaring.

"I found you!"

The Firefly Yummy looked up from her target only to receive a motorcycle wheel to the face. The impact sent it flying before crashing into the asphalt of the road with a loud thud. The young boy blinked only to pale further as he saw that the motorcyclist that had saved him turned out to be another girl. Slowly, ever so slowly he scrambled to his feet and began backing away in hopes that she wouldn't turn out to be as bad as the monster, or at least not want to hurt him.

"You're sure lucky I saved you!" The bubbly blonde beamed at the rather terrified young man. "You'd better get out of here before it gets dangerous!"

"Oi! Get a move on!" a voice shouted from a nearby approaching motorcycle. To the Fighter's relief, it was a male one. "There are Cell Medals to claim." As the motorcyclist came to a stop, his strange gloved arm revealed three coloured coins which he threw to the girl in question.

"Gotcha Ankh-chan!" the blonde nodded, catching the coins. Dismounting the motorcycle, she closed the distance between herself and the Yummy. The near-traumatized Fighter managed to notice that the new girl was wearing a weird belt which she slotted the coins into. Pushing the buckle into a diagonal position, she grabbed a circular device and swiped it across the coins with a cry of "Henshin!"

"**TAKA!**"

"**TORA!**"

"**BATTA!**"

"**TA-TO-BA TATOBA TA-TA-BA!**"

The TaToBa Combo armor formed on the girl's body, causing the short boy to gasp at the sudden transformation. The Yummy, seeing OOO, let out a hiss and then all of a sudden spat a fireball right at her. "Ow!" OOO shouted as she was hit by the explosive blast and sent flying backward. "Ow…" Her chestplate was smoking from the hit and it really hurt too.

"Oi, Hakufu! Quit screwing around!" shouted Ankh as he watched OOO dodging the fireballs, which came out rapidly at the armored Fighter. "Che!" He then produced another Core Medal, the Cheetah Core Medal. "Hakufu, take this!" He tossed the Medal to her as she was ducking from another fireball. OOO caught it and replaced the Batta Medal with it before scanning the Core Medals in her belt.

**"TAKA! TORA! CHEETAH!"**

The green Batta Legs were switched with the yellow Cheetah legs and now OOO was darting around in invisible speeds and dodging the fireballs. She then got close enough to the Yummy to slash it across the chest with the Tora Claws. This caused Cell Medals to spill out, much to Ankh's happiness.

"Sugoi!" OOO beamed as she came to a halt. "I'm much faster than before!"

"Don't just stand there and gawk! Keep fighting!" Ankh barked.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh!" OOO huffed. She arched her feet and gunned her speed once more... headlong into a fist that collided with her head.

"Ooof!" OOO grunted, rolling across the ground. Shaking the stars out her head, she slowly looked up to see Uva approaching her, cracking his knuckles.

"Not now..." Ankh cursed under his breath.

"So predictable," Uva sneered as he got closer. "You always show up when one our Yummies appear."

"Ah, crap," OOO gulped. From this point, it seemed like she was about to be fighting for more than just a small pile of Cell Medals. A fight with a Greeed was the highest stakes one could get!

"Well, might as well wrap this up once and for all." With a yell, Uva charged with lethal intent, to which OOO put up her guard to.

And then a powerful heel kick bashed into his head. While not enough to make him lose Cell Medals or at least injure him in some way, it did manage to get Uva to back off a bit. "Wha... what?"

The attacker somersaulted in midair before landing next to OOO in a crouch before slowly standing up. Her appearance alone caused the boy to gulp.

"You weren't about to have a two-on-one, right?" Shuutai chirped, "Turnabout is fair play, no?"

"Huh?" OOO blinked as she looked to her savor, "Who are you?"

"My name is Shuutai Youhei, also known as Blue Lightning," the officer answered, turning to her. "I heard about you from my boss, Ryomou Shinmei. Glad to finally meet you in person."

"Grrr!" Uva growled. "Don't interfere!" His element launched off of his horns before striking the ground around the girls, causing them to jump back at a safer distance.

"Sorry, bug boy," Shuutai frowned, "But interfering is what I do best. Besides," she curled her fingers into claws with her nails glowing in blue chi, "I need some payback for using me to make that flaming skank over there."

"Then you can die with the twit!" Uva shouted. He made his move to the two opposing Fighters, only for another motorcycle to appear out of nowhere and graze him, causing sparks and Cell Medals to fly out. It was in fact Ryomou, now donned in her battle outfit, which was a blue maid uniform. She skid near OOO and Shuutai and quickly hopped off.

"Mou-chan!" cried out OOO.

Ryomou looked to Uva and prepared for battle while the Greeed let out a grunt of annoyance, "Damn humans, interfering with everything." He then scooped up the Cell Medals Ryomou's attack drew out and crushed them in his hands before tossing them back to the ground. The Cell Medal pieces then glowed with energy before spawning Yummy, except they seemed duller in color with less bandages and black holes in the middle of their 'faces'.

"Nani!-?" cried out OOO in shock.

"Che, Pseudo-Yummies," grumbled Ankh.

"If you all are so keen in getting in my way, then it looks like I can't take any more chances now," Uva announced.

"Wonderful," Ryomou frowned.

The short boy looked at the all the monsters that the three femme fatales had stacked against them. A number of mummies, a firefly monster, and another green monster that seemed to be the source of all of this. The mummies he knew they could handle, but the two bug monsters where no slouches at all, especially the green one, who looked like it knew what it was doing.

"What we need is extra help," he muttered to himself.

Some force possibly heard the boy and answered his prayers when a large blade of green chi surged through the air towards the small group of monsters. Uva immediately saw it coming and jumped out of the way. The Firefly Yummy was wise enough to use her speed to likewise remove itself. The Pseudo-Yummies, however, were not as lucky. The chi attack instantly slammed into them, sending flying several feet. They crashed, but slowly got up, indicating that they were not destroyed.

"Hey, you weren't about to start the party without us, were you?" the voice of Shamoku said. There stood the Fighters of Seito, Shamoku, Kanu, Chou-un, and Chouhi. All three of them were ready to take on the group of Yummies as well as Uva himself.

"So, these are the once causing the disturbance?" Chou-un frowned, using her senses to pin the enemy numbers and what they would be facing.

"Yes," Kanu nodded. "Be careful though. The Pseudo-Yummies may not be so much of a problem, but Uva and that other Yummy would be able to overpower at least one of us."

"Then how about we lend you a hand?"

Everyone turned to the other side of the field where they found Sousou and Kakoton, looking ready for another fight. With them were two more unfamiliar girls.

The first girl stood tall and confident. Her skin looked pale, her eyes were in a sharp blue color, and her long black hair flowed freely. She wore a white Chinese battle dress with knee high boots and red combat gloves. On her left ear was a gold bead. She was Kakouen Myosai, an A-rank Fighter for Kyosho.

The other girl was outrageously tall; nearly reaching Gakushu's height. She wore a blue shirt with the number 12 on it with blue shorts. She also had on elbow pads and knee pads and had a few bandages curled on her fingers. Her short hair was green and her eyes were emerald. In spite of her size, she had gentle face, though it was now filled with grim determination. She was one of Sousou's most loyal Fighters, Chukou Kyocho.

"We'll now, looks like we have our back up," Shuutai smiled.

"Wow…" OOO blinked.

"So…all three schools have decided to stick their noses in eh?" Uva commented, sounding neither angered or even annoyed by it all. "Heh. And her I thought OOO would be my only entertainment tonight. Trashing the best from your little clubs will be a blast!"

"You talk like you've got a chance," Sousou frowned.

"And you think you do?" Uva laughed, making a 'come here' motion with his hand. "Come on then 'Fighters', show me what those ghosts you hold give you!"

It was the only signal the group needed. As one, some of the best Fighters that Nanyo, Seito, and Kyosho had charged for the group of monsters. The Psuedo-Yummies took on the majority of the Fighters while the Firefly Yummy continued its rapid assault on OOO. Uva merely stood back and watched the show, finding the entire brawl to be immensely entertaining.

OOO and the Firefly Yummy were speeding across the area, attacking one another at a rapid pace. They were literally blurs to the eyes of regular folks that no immense detail could be discerned from. The Kyosho, Nanyo, and Seito Fighters were fighting for all they were worth against the Psuedo-Yummies, but the monsters' all but boneless bodies and high endurance levels were maiking the battle a slow one. The only people who were no fighting were Ankh and Uva, merely content to watch the proceedings.

However, the schools of Nanyo, Seito, and Kyosho didn't carry themselves like street thugs, but warriors. They as such used warrior tactics.

Nestled in a tree behind Uva was another female Fighter. The girl had dark skin, though not as dark as Kanu. She wore a red top with red shorts and held chains on her gloved hands. Her eyes were brown and hair was also blue and was tied in small ponytails with pink ribbons. Her name was Bashoku Yojo, an assassin for Seito. Clenched between her fingers were very sharp needles which were laced with poisons, her specialty. Koumei had called her and told her what may have been occurring. So under the strategist's orders, she hid herself and planned for the perfect shot of enemy forces.

Oddly enough, in a tree the same distance from Uva and not far from where Bashoku was hiding, Kyosho was fielding their own assassin. She was a girl who was barely into her teens and had long dark hair. She had a black dress on with a white apron and looked very loli for lack of a better term. However, her eyes were as hard as rock while as cold and jagged as ice. In her hands was an elaborate bow with an arrow already drawn back. Her name was Ten'i and she was one of Kyosho's best at assassinations. She was obviously emotionally disturbed, but there was no denying her skill. Like Bakoshu, she was called by one of Kyosho's strategists to the field to take out the enemy…as well as any rival Fighters once the enemy was dealt with.

Both were surprised to see actual monsters being the enemy along with the three largest powers in Kanto working together against them. Still, they remained professional and targeted the apparent leader with their weapons. Ten'i put just a little bit more tension into her arrow for that extra bit of penetration power while Bashoku drew her arm back for the throw…and both released at the same time. Their weapons cut through the air, aiming directly at Uva's unprotected back. It looked like a sure hit…

CLANG! CLANG!

Both assassin tools bounced off of his back.

"Hn?" Uva frowned, glancing at the trees. "Assassins eh? Too bad your weapons just don't cut it!" Green electricity fired from his horns and collided with the trees, engulfing them in flames. Screams echoed from both before Ten'i and Bashoku fell from the branches with their clothes smoldering and burns already appearing on their exposed skin. They struggled to push the pain away, but their blurry vision saw Uva approaching while raising his bladed arm.

"Let me show you what I think of assassins."

"NO WAY YOU BASTARD!"

Uva turned to witness one of his Psuedo-Yummies being blasted aside by a rather explosive punch, revealing Sousou with an angry glare on his face as he charged towards Uva. For a brief second, Uva could have sworn that he saw a red Chinese dragon circling around the boy as he approached. Sousou didn't let up the speed for one minute as he aimed to smash Uva's face in with all of the power he could safely muster without provoking his Haoryuu. Covering the distance between himself and Uva in a heartbeat, he unleashed a battle cry before plowing his empowered fist into the centre of the Greeed's chest.

There was quite a shockwave from the blow, enough to capture everyone's attention for a moment as they saw the Kyosho leader standing against the insect Greeed, his fist planted in the monster's chest. However, the moment ended as Sousou backed off, his arm trembling from the sheer force he had punched with. On Uva, the section which the leader had struck flashed green for a moment before a single Cell Medal fell out, revealing the only would which had been inflicted.

"Better, but not good enough!" Uva snickered. He then lunged forward and used his legs powered by his remaining Batta Medals and plowing his knee into Sousou's stomach. The Kyosho leader gagged from the impact as he was sent sailing a few feet back before landing in a heap on the ground. Coughing, he glared as Uva began to taunt him. "Oh come on! Is this the best that one of the three warlords can do? This is the reincarnation of the man who conquered a third of the mainland? Give me a break!"

"Lord Sousou!"

Uva looked up and noticed that the two Kyosho Fighters, Kakouen and Chukou slipped past their Pseudo-Yummy opponents and made to rescue their leader. Uva's pixilated visor suddenly got a gleam in his eyes before he snagged the Cell Medal which Sousou extracted, snapped it, and threw the pieces at the two females. Both shards erupted into bandages and formed into even more Psuedo-Yummies which tackled the pair to the ground.

"Such loyalty, such concern," Uva chuckled as he left Sousou and approached the two struggling piles of females and trash Yummies. "Concerned enough to turn their backs on foes that pose a threat top them for the sake of another. Concerned enough to do such when their leader has only taken one blow." The two Psuedo-Yummies stood up with their captives, neither able to escape or even wound their captors. Uva just leaned forward to examine them both. "Sounds to me like someone's lusting for their leader."

"You bastard!" Chukou growled at Uva with a snarl. It didn't hide the flush she got when Uva made such a blatant accusation though.

Chukou was the sole survivor of the judo class which Sousou had slaughtered when his Haoryuu awoke. When she had joined, the only other members were male and since Chukou was so tall for her age and wasn't as developed yet, they liked to tease her about how they couldn't tell if she was a boy or a girl. The only one who endeavored to be her friend was Sousou. One day the other boys of the class decided to tell once and for all if Chukou was a girl or not and jumped her before trying to open her clothes to see which parts she had. Sousou had walked into the middle of it and his rage awakened his Haoryuu. He killed everyone there save for Chukou, whose embrace managed to calm him down.

She wouldn't admit under anything that she sometimes fantasized about being with Sousou, but somehow this monster managed to figure out just that.

Kakuen frowned and made an extra struggle against the Psuedo-Yummy which held her, but its grip was too strong even for her.

Kakuen was fiercely loyal to Sousou and for good reason. During her days living in South East Asia during the turbulent times she fought as a rebel/revolutionary, she had been caught by a soldier who decided that a hot teenager would make for a good lay and decided to try it. He had been halfway to succeeding when he suddenly took a gunshot to the back. Kakuen then noticed Sousou standing behind the man, holding her gun which she had dropped during the struggle. Sousou was dressed like a tourist, obviously visiting some of the more peaceful sights when he stumbled onto her. He helped her recover and even managed to bring her back to Japan, away from the senseless war and to her true purpose.

Kakuen would die on Sousou's orders, but if he so desired it she would give her body to him. Her loyalty was absolute.

Uva snickered as he drew two more Cell Medals, "Let's just see how strong those desires are, eh?"

Chukou and Kakuen stiffened as coin slots appeared on their foreheads. Uva dropped a Cell Medal in both slots before they closed, causing the Fighters to spasm slightly. To their horror and the shock of those who were not completely informed on the Greeed, green tinted holes appeared in their chests before White Yummies crawled out and onto the grassy ground.

"Tsk!" Ankh hissed from his vantage point. "Just what we need."

The remaining fighters of Kyosho, Seito, and Nanyo were all in silent agreement over the odds they were about to face. Three Yummies, a handful of Psuedo-Yummies, and Uva himself did not make for the kinds of odds the Fighters would have preferred to have. They may have had OOO on their side, but she was only one person. The entire situation may have been nicely summed up by Shamoku as he witnessed the event.

"Aw Fuck!"

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**OMAKE: Count the Medals**

"ALLLLLL RIGHT!" Hakufu cheered as she leaped onto the colourful stage with bright lights shining down on her. "Welcome to another awesome episode of Count the Medals! Your go-to source for information about the Core Medals. I'm your super cute host Hakufu Sonsaku! With me today is my special guest-OOF!"

"ME!" Goei cheered as she unceremoniously shoved her daughter off of the podium and took centre stage herself. "The super hot and sensual Goei! Of course you naughty boys out there can call me Onee-chan!"

"MOM! That hurt!" Hakufu snapped, crawling back on stage.

"Oh get over it. I've hit you worse," Goei huffed, waving off Hakufu's temper. "Now today's a super special episode! Since we're not going to look at one of the Core Medals, but instead…"

"**TA-TO-BA TATOBA TA-TO-BA!**"

"The TaToBa Combo!" Hakufu cheered, pushing her mother out of the spotlight. "This is the special form my armour takes when I use the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals together. It's also known as the Multi Combo which balances out all of my statistics and-OOF!"

Goei took centre stage after pushing her daughter away again, "It's baseline performance helps Hakufu feel out her opponents and their strengths so she can decide if she's strong enough or needs to use a different Medal instead. Of course, that's usually Ankh's job since my girl just doesn't have any common sense at all."

"QUIET!" Hakufu snapped, charging back onto the stage and pushing Goei away once again. Heaving a sigh, she continued. "While I'm in my TaToBa Combo, I can use my O-Scanner to unleash my TaToBa Kick! Using the Batta Legs, I leap into the air and fly through a set of rings which infuse me with the power of my Medals. Nothing survives this kick once I use it! Hiyah-OOF!"

Once again taking the limelight, Goei continued, "The downside with the TaToBa Combo though is that it's not particularly strong, fast, or defensive. Oh it can handle battles and such just fine, but if the opponent is high enough in a certain aspect, TaToBa just won't be able to keep up. Like that Firefly from this chapter."

"MOM! STOP DOING THAT!" Hakufu raged, once again stumbling back onto stage.

"Fine, we're ready to wrap up anyway," Goei shrugged.

"Okay," Hakufu huffed before she turned to the camera. "Come join us next time for more information on all things related to the Core Medals. This is Hakufu and her sly old mom signing off!"

WHAP!

"Ow!"

"Make sure to give your love to others!" Goei winked. "And if that hot guy from the coffee shop is seeing this, call me!"

* * *

**Ten-Faced Paladin: **Things are really going all out. The three schools are united, but even with OOO and Sousou among some of the top Fighters, Uva still seems to have the advantage!

**Kamen Rider Chrome:** We finally managed to do another update.

**Tailsmo4ever: **And now instead of one Yummy to deal with, we have a total of three! And it seems that even Sousou can do zilch against Uva. What will the Fighters do now?


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: We do not own Kamen Rider OOO or Ikki Tousen. Those belong to their respective creators and not us. Sorry gold diggers.

* * *

**OOO MEDALS OF IKKI TOUSEN**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin, Talismo4ever and Kamen Rider Chrome**

**Chapter 8: Of a Bridegroom, a Lost Eye, and the Scorching Heat**

* * *

Goto walked down the parking lot of the Foundation, having finished his night shift. He had already heard about the Yummy that was on the loose, but Kougami told him not to interfere with the battle that was already commencing between the top Fighters and the Yummy. He knew of all the damage that they could cause, but the Greeed were so much stronger. It still irked him that the girl Hakufu Sonsaku was still being arrogant with her new powers. It was as if she was enjoying being a hero. Still, there was one thing that she said that rang in his ears.

_"Besides, he says that since it was me who activated it for the first time I'm the only one who can activate it from now on. At least until I die or something."_

"It doesn't make any sense," Goto muttered to himself, "Is there really more to the belt than I thought? If so, then I will need something else in order to save the world."

"Ah, Goto my friend," a voice full of arrogance said, "How have you been?"

Goto looked up and frowned. Walking up to him, was a man who was slightly older than him. He wore a motorcycle uniform like Goto, although his was in blue. His black hair was shaggy and his brown eyes were deep. His face wore an arrogant smirk with his hands in his pocket.

"Akio," Goto frowned. "What do you want?"

"What, can't I greet a friend?" Akio said.

"Friend?" Goto snorted. He knew otherwise. Akio Gushiken, leader of the Foundation's Ride Vendor 4th Squad motorcycle brigade, was anything but friendly. He had a holier than thou attitude with an ego as large as the Foundation. He would often mock Goto about his past failures and steal as much credit as he could. If he did make any mistakes, he would pin the blame on his subordinates. He was nothing more than a pompous asshole and a hypocrite. No one in the company could stand him and even his own squadron would go out of their way to avoid him outside of field operations. The only reason he hadn't been fired long before now due to his attitude was because he was one of the best strategic minds the company had to offer. He used to be in the military before he completed his tour of duty and decided to go into the private sector. It didn't make him any easier to deal with though.

"Well, I read your report on the newest OOO," Akio spoke as he walked over and rested his elbow on Goto's shoulder, much to the younger man's annoyance, "I can't believe that you let such great power slip into the hands of a little girl, and a juvenile brute at that."

"It was out of my hands at the time," Goto said, "Otherwise it would be me as OOO."

"It's too late to make excuses now," Akio huffed, removing his elbow. "Imagine what would happen if all that power gets into her head. The circumstances would be quite... unthinkable."

"That's impossible," Goto retorted. As much as he didn't like Hakufu, as much as he thought of her as an unworthy heroine, he knew that she was just too nice of a person to think of such a thing. She was anti-thesis to the Greeed as much as a human being could be.

"What do you know?" Akio snorted, "She's just like the rest of them, a juvenile delinquent." He turned around and walked to the entryway. "Well, I need to be on my way. See you later."

* * *

The Fighters knew that they were in over their heads when they confronted Uva, and now they were in way deep. As weak as the Psuedo-Yummies were, their bodies were nearly indestructible and could only be destroyed with a powerful chi attack. Not to mention the Firefly Yummy that could move as fast as the Blue Lighting herself. And now two more White Yummies had been spawned out of Chukou and Kakoken, two of the strongest Fighters of Kyosho. Just when many of the Fighters thought the night couldn't get any worse, it did.

"Well, it's been fun, but now it's time for me to be on my way," Uva waved mockingly. He hopped onto a tree, knocking it down as he did, and jumped into the night air.

"Che," Ankh uttered as he watched the Fighters face the Yummies. Hakufu needed a way to even the odds so he brought out two Core Medals. "Oi, OOO! Take these Medals!" He tossed the Core Medals to OOO who caught them before dodging a swipe from the Firefly Yummy. She quickly took a look at them before looking back to Ankh.

"Thanks Ankh-chan!" OOO nodded before she swapped out the Taka and Tora Medals for the new ones. Quickly, she scanned them and activated their power.

**"KUWAGATA! UNAGI! CHEETAH!"**

The swarm of colors surrounded OOO as the helmet and torso area of her armor changed. The Taka Head was switched with the Kuwagata Head, and the Tora Arms with the Unagi Arms.

Gripping her new weapons, OOO dashed with the speed the Cheetah Medal afforded her. However, she wasn't aiming at the Firefly Yummy. Instead, she dashed through the battle, capturing the Pusedo-Yummies with her whips before dropping them onto a rapidly growing pile of thrashing monsters. As the last of the trash Yummies were deposited, freeing Kakoken and Chukou, the group as a whole began getting their senses back. OOO didn't miss a beat as she lashed out with her whips and captured the group as a whole. She then activated the electric properties of the whips while firing lighting from her horns. As the attack landed, the group of Psuedo-Yummies were destroyed in a giant blast of smoke and debris, leaving shattered Cell Medals in their wake.

Free from their captors, Kakoken and Chukou dashed past the two White Yummies and planted themselves in front of the recovering Sousou, taking combat stances.

"You will not lay a hand on Lord Sousou!" Chukou growled as she glared at the embodiment of her desires.

Kakoken showed an actual frown on her face as she eyed her own Yummy. She couldn't afford to be distracted when facing something which was constructed from her own desires. Who knew what kind of abilities it possessed?

Rather than be intimidated or even attack, the two Yummies instead continued to stare at the pair as they prepared to defend their leader. The Yummies then looked to each other in a quizzical fashion before looking back to the two female fighters. Standing up, they began to inhale deeply and audibly. At first the trio was confused by the actions, but when gold sparkles began to be drawn from the two females' bodies and into the Yummies, it began to make sense.

"They're feeding off your loyalty!" Sousou gaped. Was such a thing possible? Well, it was happening right before his eyes so he could guess that it was.

"Kill them, quickly!" Kakoken snapped, charging.

"Right!" Chukou agreed, following her fellow Fighter.

The two female Fighters charged at the Yummies and began unleashing their attacks on them. Chukou was known to be capable of shattering anything she hit while Kakoken was no slouch herself. However, the two White Yummies were blocking their moves, matching their styles perfectly. The Yummies were much sloppier than the two Fighters and took some blows, but other than displacement from the force of the blows, it didn't seem to hurt them. All the while they kept drawing more of the gold sparkles from the girls.

OOO wasn't paying attention to this since she was in another high-speed battle with the Firefly Yummy. The Yummy was dashing around in a streak of bright light, while OOO, who was already abnormally fast to begin with, was like a blur of three colours to everyone else. OOO lashed out with her whips again and again while the Firefly Yummy threw fireballs at her. One such attack managed to strike the Kamen Rider in the chest. She managed to recover and then changed direction to run directly at the Firefly Yummy, swinging the Unagi Whips at it. The Yummy thought it was a straight attack, but instead found it as a capturing strike. OOO bound its arms to its side and then ninja-jumped up to deliver a barrage of super-fast kicks with the Cheetah Legs that caused Cell Medals to spill out with each hit.

"Those are some kicks," Shamoku commented as the other Fighters watched on.

"Impossible," Bashoku gaped.

OOO sent out another strong kick which released the Firefly Yummy from the Unagi Whips and sent it tumbling along the ground. The tri-coloured Fighter landed and eyed the Yummy as it tried to recover from the blows. Things were getting hot with two White Yummies fighting the Kyosho girls and this Yummy already fully matured. She had to bring things to a close and fast! Actions confirmed, she reached for her O-Scanner.

"They say three's a crowd and we already have too much on our plate, so I'll be taking you down now!" OOO said as she took a stance and swung the O-Scanner over the Medals.

**"SCANNING CHARGE!"**

OOO lashed her whips at the Firefly Yummy and bounded it while the electricity did the stunning. With the orange of her eyes flashing, she quite suddenly pulled the Yummy towards her as she dashed at it. The lightning from the Kuwagata Head erupted around her as she launched herself in a flying kick. The electrified kick connected and the Yummy screeched before exploding in a haze of flames. OOO landed in a crouch as she watched the Cell Medals rain down from the Firefly Yummy's destruction.

"Well, that takes care of that," said OOO with a grin. She turned to deal with the White Yummies but as she prepared to go fight them, green flames began to burst from their bodies, indicating that they were about to molt. Kakoken and Chukopu backed away from the flames as the bandages and gray flesh broke away from the Yummies, revealing their true forms. Dust crumbled away to reveal two new insect-type Yummies, both of them almost an exact duplicate of the Yummy OOO had just destroyed. However the flame patterns on their bodies and the colors of their helmets were different; the one spawned from Chukou had blue flame patterns and a blue helmet, while Kakoken's was in green. Fully developed, they flew up into the sky before they attacked OOO with fireballs coloured either blue or green, causing explosions to erupt all around her as she cried out.

"What? They evolved so quickly!" Kanu gasped.

"It must be because of their desire to serve Sousou until they die," Ryomou frowned, knowing just how fiercely loyal the two girls were to Sousou. Unless the two had some secret that not even the higher ups like Kakoton or Sousou knew, it had to have been their desire to serve the Kyosho leader. "With the source of food so close and abundant, it's no wonder they managed to evolve so quickly."

"How are we going to fight them if they're up in the air?" Chouhi growled.

"Really wish I could answer that one, darlin'," Shuutai frowned.

From where she had hit the dirt, Ten'i slowly stood to her feet, wincing as the burns on her skin still irritated her. Eyeing the current situation, she pushed her pain aside so that she could continue to be of service to Kyosho. Taking another arrow, she took aim at the Blue Firefly Yummy. Pushing tension into her arrow, she fired. The arrow streaked through the sky just before it struck the Blue Firefly Yummy on the left leg, causing it to scream out. It seemed that Yummies truly were lesser than the Greeed, including more vulnerable. It glared at Ten'i before spiting a fireball at her.

"Watch out!" the blond boy from earlier cried out as he pushed Ten'i out of the way. Despite his fear of females, he knew he had to save her from being burnt to a crisp. He shouted out as the fireball grazed his leg.

"Ah!" he gasped as the burn stung him. Ten'i's eyes widened at the boy who had risked his life for her own.

"Hey! You can't do that!" OOO shouted as the static on her horns began to glow. Green lightning shot out, shocking the Firefly Yummies silly. They screeched out in pain. The Green Firefly Yummy shot another fireball at her to send her on her back and stop the lightning. Finally free, the Firefly Yummies took off into the city.

"Crap," Kakoton frowned, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "They got away."

"Don't worry, we'll get them," OOO said as she stood up before turning to the boy who'd burnt his leg. "Hey, are you alright?"

The boy looked up slightly. For some reason, he didn't feel afraid of her while she was in the strange armor. Maybe it was because her suit looked almost masculine than feminine. "I'm fine," he answered.

"Man, we really owe you big time, kid," Sousou chuckled. His eyes turned to the young assassin. "Come on, Ten'i, don't you have something to say?"

"Oh! Um..." Ten'i flushed, her eyes darting back and forth. She was frowning, obviously uncomfortable with her current situation. "Th... thank you for saving me."

"It's nothing," he smiled slightly, shaking his head. Lucky for him that Ten'i was still a preteen. His fear of girls didn't spike whenever he was faced with a smaller child, "I had to do something or else you were toast."

With the Yummies and Uva gone, the collected Fighters began grouping together with OOO and the others. Things such as which school they served under were forgotten for the time being. They were all sore, tired, and had seen another example of the kind of enemy which they were dealing with. Among them, Shamoku alone recognized who the tiny assassin's savior was. "Wait a minute... you're that kid I met this morning. You were looking for Nanyo, weren't you?"

"Huh?" the boy said before looking up, "Hey, you're the guy with that scary girl from this morning!"

"Scary girl?" Chou-un wondered, looking at Shamoku with her eyes still very much closed.

"He means Ryuu-chan," he shrugged.

Chou-un arched an eyebrow, "Why would he be afraid of Gentoku? She's far too nice to frighten anyone." '_Unless her dragon is awake,_' she added mentally.

"Don't really know," The Barbarian King shrugged again before turning to the boy who was now being supported by Sousou, "So, you got a name, short man?"

The boy frowned slightly, "My name's not 'short man', it's Shoichi Sonshoko."

Kanu twitched when she heard the name, for some reason wanting very much to strangle the smaller Fighter. OOO just felt the urge to hug the boy and squeal like she had gotten a prize of some sort. Chou-un and Chouhi both wondered why their comrade was beginning to frown at the apparent new Nanyo Fighter. For her own reasons, Shuutai began grinning with sparkling eyes at the boy with a line of drool on the corner of her mouth.

'_So cute!_'

Shoichi shivered, feeling like he was being sized up like a piece of meat. He merely passed it off as being intimidated by so many girls being around him. Why he wasn't freaking out just yet even he didn't know.

"Well, if you're with Nanyo then you're our responsibility," Ryomou shrugged. "Let's get you to the hospital and see if we can get that burn looked at."

"I'll take him!" Shuutai grinned, grabbing the boy by the arm and pulling him along. Shoichi instantly paled and looked like he might just faint. However, he stumbled along and allowed Shuutai to continue tugging him as she began peppering him with questions.

"I think we all might need to lick our wounds for now," Sousou sighed, scratching his head. "Ton-chan, Kakuen, Chukou, Ten'i, we'd best get going. We're going to have to report this to the others once day breaks."

"Damn. School's tomorrow isn't it?" the basics enthusiast groaned. "Man, why can't these monsters pick a better time to cause problems?"

With the Kyosho squad leaving, Kanu turned to face OOO and Ryomou, "We'd best get back to Gentoku. She's going to be worried sick."

"We'll give her your regards OOO," Shamoku grinned as the Tiger Generals, the first year assassin, and Barbarian King likewise left for their own territory. Soon enough, only Ankh, OOO, and Ryomou were left.

"Whew!" OOO sighed, dropping to her butt before removing the buckle, undoing her transformation. "Man I'm tired. And there's still two more Yummies out there!"

"Then you'd best get looking, shouldn't you?" frowned Ankh as he approached the pair.

"Aw come on Ankh-chan!" Hakufu whined. "I'm too tired!"

"We can start fresh tomorrow," Ryomou said. "After all, we'll need the rest."

"Feh! Suit yourself!" Ankh sighed.

* * *

**Kougami Foundation**

"WONDERFUL!" the red-suited man cheered as his electronic observation caught the recorded action of the Fighters versus the Yummies. "The birth of the alliance is close at hand! The celebration is imminent!"

Kougami was still inside his office, holding a glass of wine as he observed the battle over and over again. It excited him to see that the three most powerful schools were showing such a strong alliance in the face of the Greeed. The alliance had already been born, but it would take time for it to gain strength.

"Now, how best to celebrate such a birth?" Kougami wondered to himself. He only considered it for a moment before the idea hit him in a fit of brilliance. Reaching into his desk, he produced a velvet case similar to what jewelry would be held in. Opening it, he revealed not a necklace, ring, or similar piece, but a Core Medal which was adorned with the image of a lion on it.

"The perfect gift!" the man cheered. He reached under his desk and pressed a hidden button, causing the screen to shift from the battle to Dr. Maki's laboratory. The doctor himself was currently tinkering on some sort of machinery that appeared to be a cannon of some kind. "Dr. Maki!"

The stoic doctor looked up from his work, unblinkingly. He wasn't looking at Kougami's image when he spoke though. Rather, he talked to the doll which was sitting in a small chair nearby. "Yes, Kougami-san?"

"Please be sure to give this present to Goto-kun!" he answered enthusiastically, "I would like him to see to it that it at least reaches one of the Fighters aligned with OOO!"

"I will sir."

* * *

**Nanyo Academy**

It was another morning as Hakufu, Ankh and Chuubou were walking back to school. Hakufu was obviously tired, both from the lack of sleep and the fighting she had done as OOO. Ankh looked as fine as ever, likely because of the amount of Cell Medals he had received from the first Firefly Yummy's demise. Chuubou was merely following as usual, looking worriedly at her big sister.

"Hakufu-neesama, didn't you get enough sleep last night?" she asked concernedly.

"No," Hakufu groaned. "I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. Then Mom came in and told me it was time for breakfast. I don't wanna go to school today. I wanna sleep."

"Oh suck it up," Ankh sighed, tired of Hakufu's whining.

"Maybe some tea will help you keep awake," Chuubou said helpfully.

"Faww... okay," Hakufu yawned.

Chuubou still was unaware of the monsters that were running amok in Kanto, or that her supposed fiancé was being controlled by one of those monsters like a meat puppet. That suited Ankh just fine. He really didn't want any more Fighters interfering with his business if he could help it. All he wanted was his body back. Was that really too much to ask for? It seemed that just because these kids were some ancient heroes from the past that they thought could take on anything that came at them. They just didn't realize that this was no longer the Three Kingdoms era. This was now.

Their stupid talk of fates was making those kids go around and kill each other just because their ancestors did the same thing centuries ago. Ankh would sometimes catch himself wondering why these brats would risk their lives for something they called 'fate' and not do what they wanted. Instead of living in the present, they allowed the past to influence all of their decisions. It was stupid! What made it even stupider was that the past which ruled them was over 1800 years ago, even older than Ankh!

It wasn't long before they reached Nanyo. Hakufu was greeted by schoolmates with each one saying good morning to her respectively. That was another thing Ankh couldn't understand. How a scatter-brain like her could be a ruler.

* * *

"Sho-kun!" the tall blue haired girl called out as she waved at him.

Shoichi grimaced, but politely returned the greeting. After the hospital trip, Shuutai had walked him home and hadn't really stopped talking in her attempts to know everything about him. He managed to avoid talking about his gynophobia and his life in the orphanage. He didn't need another terrifying girl learning his weakness and trying to take advantage of it. However, Shuutai just didn't want to leave him alone unless she absolutely had to. It took an hour to let her go inside his home when she took him there (reluctantly on his part).

Even worse, coming to Nanyo at long last revealed to him that there were several girls there which terrified him. They all looked tough and ready to fight. He knew from experience just looking at them wrong would cause them to want to kick his butt. He wasn't really sure why Shuutai was trying to be so close to him, but he feared that if he didn't watch his step then he was going to end up in a world of pain. Why did his gramps want him to go to Nanyo so badly?

"Sho-kun, I'm so glad to see you!" Shuutai smiled as she latched onto the boy's arm. "I was worried that you wouldn't be able to come today! Now I can show you around and introduce you to our officers!"

"…yeah," Shoichi trembled.

Shuutai continued to smile as she tugged and pulled him along. She was quite excited to see him and for the life of him, the boy wasn't sure why. As long as he could remember, not one girl was like this towards him. Usually they were spiteful, suspicious or just plain mean. He also noticed that some of the girls that they were passing gave him looks and giggled about how cute he looked as well as wondering if he was free. He was feeling pretty uneasy at this point.

"Um... Shuutai-sempai?" Shoichi began.

"Call me 'Shu-chan'," she smiled at him.

"Alright... Shu-chan," Shoichi nodded uncertainly, "What does everyone around Nanyo do aside from attending classes? I can already tell that everyone is more alert than the students at my old school... especially the girls."

"Well, in case anyone didn't tell you, we at Nanyo are at war with seven other schools nearby. Actually, make that six since Seito has recently been aligned with us," Shuutai explained. "However, the war is currently at a standstill because of a new crisis happening around the city."

"A new crisis?" Shoichi asked with eyes widened.

"Yes," she nodded. "There are monsters among us. Monsters that can pop coins into our heads like we were vending machines and use our desires to create other monsters for them to command. The first firefly monster you saw last night was my fault. The green and black bug monster had used me to create it." Shuutai sighed in self-deprecation. "I shouldn't let my guard down like that."

"Uh... I don't think it is," Shoichi said, trying to find the right things to say. "You couldn't have known you were being targeted."

Shuutai turned to look at him. Shoichi flinched, fearing he may have stepped out of line again. But his fears turned to a mix of relief and confusion as she gave him a smile. Shoichi could help but think that she was rather... cute, "Yeah, I guess you're right," she beamed.

"So, uh, who was that armored girl that we saw?" Shoichi asked her after shaking out of his confusion.

"That was OOO, an Armored Fighter who is similar to the ones in Hinata City," Shuutai continued. "So far, she's the only who has a chance against the Unknown Lifeforms. She's also the one giving us all we need to know about them. Only our leaders have seen her unmasked, one of them being our main head, Hakufu Sonsaku."

"Hakufu Sonsaku?" Shoichi blinked.

"SHOICHI!"

**GLOMP!**

"Waugh!" Shoichi cried as he felt a girl glomp onto him. He waved his arms and tried to catch his balance to escape out of sheer instinct, but his conscious mind was fixated on how a girl had jumped him out of nowhere. Did she want to steal his money? Did he offend her somehow? Did she want to dress him up in some kind of frilly outfit just so she could get off on some kind of fetish? Glancing at his attacker, he saw the familiar blonde that he recalled transforming into OOO the previous night. "Uh…?"

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Hakufu beamed brightly. "When you were taken to the hospital I was worried that they were going to operate or something!"

"Well…uh…I…" Shoichi gulped, trying desperately to will himself into not freaking out.

"Uh…Hakufu-sama," Shuutai frowned, trying not to outright tell her leader to butt out so she could share some alone time with her future boyfriend. With the prospect of time with her future man being threatened, she didn't even pick up on the fact that somehow Hakufu knew that Shoichi was taken to the hospital despite not having been to the battle in which he got injured. "Sho-kun and I were about to walk around Nanyo so he could understand how things work and who the important figures are."

"Oh," Hakufu blinked. Letting go of Shoichi (much to his relief), she stepped back and beamed at him. "Well then it's a good thing I saw you then! I'm Hakufu Sonsaku, the leader here at Nanyo Academy! I'm so happy to see you! If you have any questions then you can ask me!"

It was supposed to be a rather welcoming gesture, meant to show any new Fighter to Nanyo that they were in good hands with a compassionate leader. Considering Shoichi's phobia, it had something of an opposite effect. The boy paled and gulped audibly as his brain registered the news, "Y-you are…Hakufu Sonsaku?"

"Amazing, isn't it?" asked a new male voice from behind the blonde. Shoichi glanced past the leader and spotted the blonde boy from the previous night. He felt some relief at seeing another male nearby. Maybe if the girls got violent they'd be able to work together to get out of it. "How a bubblehead like her became the leader of this place, I'll never figure out."

"Hey!" Hakufu snapped at the other boy, incidentally making Shoichi's heart skip a beat at the feminine rage. "No one asked you! I earned my leadership!"

"Only because the last guy who had it died in a coup," the boy replied.

Seeing the argument gaining steam, Shuutai began to subtly guide herself and Shoichi away from the two and towards the school. Keeping an eye on the pair, she leaned close to Shoichi's ear and whispered, "That's Kokin Shuyu, one of the Big Four here. He answers directly to Hakufu and nobody else. Lately he's become a bit of a hardass but with the current situation, that's more of a help than a hindrance."

"Oh…okay," Shoichi nodded slowly.

* * *

**Seito**

The high officers of Seito were in another conference meeting, using what would have been the student council room had Seito been a regular school. In attendance were Ryuubi, Shamoku, Chou-un, Kanu, Koumei, and Chouhi. The leader and strategist were being given a report as to what had occurred the previous night after the Gorilla Candroids had woken them all up, alerting them to another Yummy attack. It had been quite late when they returned so the official report had to wait until the sun rose again. Ryuubi was of course happy to hear anything about OOO, but it later had gone further to report what Uva had done whist everyone was fighting his minions.

"So now there are two of them?" Ryuubi gasped after she was told the news.

"Unfortunately, yes," Kanu nodded, "They came from Kakouen Myosai and Chukou Kyocho and apparently the Yummies feed on their loyalty to Sousou. The only thing possibly stopping them from gaining more power and Cell Medals is to keep Kakouen and Chukou away from those two. And should we fail to do that..."

"Oh, no way!" Shamoku shouted waving his hands. "One kaiju was enough! There's no way I'm fighting two this time!"

None of the Seito Fighters forgot about the Moth Yummy which flew over the area with its corrosive dust. They had been lucky that the damage hadn't been worse at thee time since OOO had managed to ground the insect before taking it out. However, what damage was caused had been considerable enough for the nature of its powers. The group didn't even want to consider what two giant fireflies would be capable of.

"Well, then we'd better make sure those two Yummies don't go near Kyosho then," Chouhi retorted as she helped herself to the pitcher of water which a lower ranked Fighter had prepared for them.

"Agreed," Chou-un nodded, taking a sip for her glass. Setting the cup on the table, she continued. "The most effective means of doing that though would be to alert Kyosho to the nature of the Greeed and Yummies as well as share what Intel we have."

"Should we?" asked Shamoku. "I mean, Kyosho doesn't really have the best track run of honesty here."

"Neither does Nanyo," Chou-un retorted.

"Yeah, but that was when Enjyutsu was running the show," the Barbarian King replied. "I admit that Sonsaku seems to be running a pretty clean ship so far, which eases some of my nerves but the things were know that Kyosho does puts me on edge. What if someone from their ranks ends up trying to cut a deal with the Greeed so they can end up winning the war with the Fighters?"

"I can personally vouch for Sousou, Kakuka, and Kakoton," Kanu cut in sharply. "They will not be blinded by greed or ambition. They saw for themselves just how dangerous one Greeed and his Yummies could be. They have the common sense to see that the Greeed are a threat to everyone regardless of which school they are with."

"You didn't add that Rakuyo chick, Kaku," Shamoku replied, staring sternly at Kanu. "I heard from some of my guys at Teikoku that she was pretty damn quick to hand over the Gyokuji to Kyosho the very night that Totaku bit the big one. If you ask me, she'd sell out to the stronger side the moment that it seemed like Kyosho wouldn't be top dog anymore. She might try to make a deal with the Greeed if it seems like we're not going to win against them."

Kanu frowned, but she couldn't deny that accusation. The Fighters of Rakuyo were particularly known to be savagely ruthless and more than willing to sink however low so long as they managed to pull out a win in the end. Even Totaku's second-in-command Ryofu Hosen followed that example when she managed to seal her own fate and kill her leader in a suicide attack. Kaku herself had gained a particularly nasty reputation as a backstabber and strategist who had quickly risen through the ranks until she had become Totaku's number three. Part of the reason that Rakuyo had gotten so much territory was because of her strategies and one didn't make winning moves like that by playing fair or by being nice.

"Mnn," Ryuubi frowned, not liking the looks passing between her two friends. It seemed like they were about to break out into an argument and she really didn't want that to happen. Looking for some means of ending the fight before it began; she looked to Koumei who was silently sipping her water as she eyed the proceedings. "Koumei? What do you think?"

"Hmmm," the younger girl hummed, pondering an answer. "Kanu-san's confidence in Sousou and his two generals make for a strong case in favour of alerting them to what we know of the Greeed and their Yummies. With the three schools united, we stand a much better chance of coordinating our efforts in stopping the Greeed, assisting OOO, and making sure that the Yummies are unable to collect the Cell Medals that they need." She paused for a moment as she pondered further with her arms crossed over her chest. "However, Shamoku-san is right to be concerned over some Fighters like Kaku. The timing in which she reportedly gave the Gyokuji to Kyosho suggests that she either took it before, just after, or even during the fight in which Totaku lost his life. Since Kyosho had won the Big Fighter's Tournament, she went to them since they were the strongest. The knowledge that she also left Youshu and Yoshuu to drift, it reveals just how cutthroat she is. The possibility of her making a backroom bargain with the Greeed should she know enough about them does exist if her past is any indication," the younger girl then sighed. "That also doesn't even begin to account for some of the weaker schools which may do the same thing in their desperate hopes of getting ahead in the war."

"So where does that leave us?" asked Chouhi. "Do we tell them or not?"

"I would suggest minimal information to begin with," Koumei answered. "Tell Sousou what he needs to know in order to protect his two soldiers and to keep the two Yummies from getting any stronger. Should our alliance grow strong enough, we can share more information then."

"A good idea," Chou-un nodded. "That way we can keep an eye out for other Fighters who would want to use the information for themselves. We keep them close enough to be called allies for the time being, but far enough way to view them objectively."

"Works for me," Shamoku shrugged. "Just so long as somebody keeps an eye on Kaku I'm satisfied."

"I find it agreeable," Kanu nodded, but it was obvious that she wasn't completely pleased with the result.

"Right, fine," Chouhi nodded, changing the subject. "Back to last night. You guys remember that short guy, right? The new Fighter for Nanyo calling himself Shoichi Sonshoko. Does anyone know which magatama he holds? I swear the name sounds familiar but I just can't remember why. It's been bugging me ever since he introduced himself."

Only a chorus of shaking heads made her reply save for Koumei. The young strategist blinked for a moment as dawning apprehension came over her face. Her lips suddenly dry; she took another drink of water before looking to Chouhi, "Sonshoko. That was what he said his name was?"

"Yeah," Chouhi nodded. "You heard of him?"

"Yes I have!" Koumei nodded, slipping into her more childish persona. "I consider him a rival!"

"A rival?" asked Kanu, raising her glass to her lips. "So he would be a strategist then?"

"No," Koumei replied, shaking her head. "He is my rival for Ryuubi! Shoichi Sonshoko is Ryuubi's future husband!"

"PFFFFFT!"

Such a massive spit-take had never been done before. Everyone in the room save for the young strategist herself had suddenly unleashed the liquids in their mouths lest they choke due to the massive shock. A wet ring of water and saliva soaked the floor around the table as the Fighters had spat on the floor rather on the table to avoid hitting anyone. Chouhi coughed loudly while Chou-un tried to recover her composure. Kanu and Shamoku were staring blankly at Koumei whilst Ryuubi herself had turned bright red from the announcement.

"WHAT?-!"

"Sonshoko is the Japanese counterpart to the name Sun Shang Xiang, but that is only the name that legends have labelled her as. History only knows her as Lady Sun or Princess Sonshoko," Koumei explained. "During the era of the Three Kingdoms, the Wu Kingdom in efforts to bring peace between themselves and the Shu Kingdom decided that a marriage contract would be made. Princess Sonshoko was King Hakufu Sonsaku's younger sister and she was given to King Ryuubi Gentoku to be his wife.

"So…you're saying that the shrimp and Ryuu-chan are meant to be?" asked Shamoku.

'_I should have strangled him when I had the chance!_' Kanu thought to herself furiously as she clenched her jaw.

"I refuse to let that happen!" Koumei huffed. "History states that Princess Sonshoko was a master at hand-to-hand combat. She also had one hundred attendants who were all skilled in weapons. They never left her side and thus she was always protected. King Ryuubi Gentoku was so terrified for his life around her that he never once took up his husbandly duties. No doubt this Shoichi Sonshoko is a similar brute. He will not terrorize my Ryuubi!"

"Uh…." Shamoku blinked, having a hard time connecting the shrimpy boy who was scared of Ryuubi to a badass woman who scared one of the three kings of the Three Kingdoms Era of China.

"But! But! But! But!" Ryuubi stammered in mortal embarrassment. Her face was so red that one could have cooked an egg on it and one could almost imagine steam coming out of her ears. "I'm too young to get married! I don't have any experience! I've never had a boyfriend before! I'm still a virgin! I have to think of OOO-sama! Hauuuuuuuu~!" The leader of Seito began to turn wobbly in her seat as she began to view images of herself marrying Shoichi before OOO appeared and cried, asking why Ryuubi had betrayed 'him'.

By this point, Chouhi was resting her head on the table, trying to stifle her laughter while Chou-un politely held her smile behind her hand. Kanu's face, red and grimacing over the announcement, was just priceless whilst Ryuubi's flushing face and Shamoku's stunned gaping were just icing on the cake. Oh if only they could take a picture without getting caught.

"But don't worry Ryuubi!" Koumei beamed. "I won't let that brute touch you! We're meant for each other after all!"

"Hauuuuuuuu~!"

* * *

**Nanyo**

Shoichi sneezed and looked around frantically. He had one of those feelings that someone was talking about him. Shuutai, who was still with him, cocked an eyebrow.

"What is it, Sho-kun?" she asked him.

"Oh, it's nothing," he dismissed. "I was imaging things."

* * *

**Kougami Labs**

'_Another day, another crisis I can't do anything to help with,_' Goto mentally sighed as he parked his Ride Vendor in front of the expansive labs which produced the equipment that the squadrons and OOO would use. No doubt the Fighters would begin using them too as long as they had a source of Cell Medals to claim them with. He didn't want to think of what those kids would get up to with that kind of technology once the Greeed were taken care of.

Since the Ride Vendor squadrons had proven ineffective against the Greeed, they were delegated to ensuring that areas were evacuated as well as distracting any Yummies or Greeed that appeared while civilians would run. Since Goto's squadron was wiped out in the first assault with the Greeed, he had been promoted to Kougami's right hand man. It wasn't a bad job by any stretch of the mind and the pay was certainly good, but he was little more than a glorified delivery boy in all honesty.

He had once asked Kougami why they continued to let Hakufu Sonsaku run around as OOO when they should just take the Driver from her to let a trained soldier use it and force Ankh to help them. The baker had shot the idea down instantly citing that it was Hakufu's desire which allowed her to become OOO and thus they would let her keep it. At first Goto had thought it was just a whim that Kougami let her keep the Driver, but after she told him that it would only work with her did Goto think there was something more to it.

Kougami's quirks didn't stop there though. Recently, Goto had been ordered to deliver cases of Gorilla Candroids to the 'generals' of both Kyosho and Seito. Those particular Candroids worked by scanning any and all signals from any source and once picked up a signal detailing monsters and any description which could be related to a Yummy, they would go off. While Goto could see how establishing a network of informants for OOO to learn where Yummies are would be useful, he didn't think it was a good idea for the Fighters to man that network. Those kids were in the middle of their gang wars and asking them to unite was a little too much in his opinion. Still, Goto had his orders.

Entering through the labs, Goto travelled until he reached one particular lab which was out of the way from the others. After entering a code into the nearby keypad, the door unlocked and he entered. Inside was a usual lab filled with all of the equipment. However, adorning one wall in particular was a portrait which was decorated with the images of birds, felines, beasts, insects, and fish all causing misery to a man. Even stranger was that some of the animals had Cell Medals with them. It was a particularly gruesome portrait in Goto's opinion, but the owner always was an odd man.

Said odd man was none other that Dr. Maki who was using a soldering gun on a piece of equipment which he was working on. Next to him was his doll which was sitting on a miniature chair in front of a desk filled with similar equipment for it to use. He didn't look up from his work, but it Goto didn't doubt that the scientist knew he was there.

"Dr. Maki," Goto spoke. "I'm here for the reports that Kougami requested on the progress for your projects."

"They are on the desk near your right side," Maki replied looking up to his doll. "Kougami-san also requested that I give you something for your next assignment."

"Really?" Goto blinked. Looking to his right, he found the stack of papers which he had been sent to the lab to find. On top of it though was a small case which was apparently the part of his next assignment. Reaching to it, he picked it up and popped it open to inspect what he was delivering. His eyes widened when he saw the yellow Core Medal looking back at him. "This is-!"

"Yes," Dr. Maki nodded. "The Lion Core Medal. Your next assignment is to deliver it to OOO or one of her allies. That is all."

"I see. Good day then," Goto bowed before taking the papers and leaving the lab. As he took off, he looked at the case which held the Lion Core Medal and frowned. "I don't like this," he muttered.

* * *

**Kyosho**

"Uh-huh, okay. Yeah. Thanks for the heads up Kanu. See ya."

Sousou hung up his phone and heaved a sigh. He, Kakuka, Kakoton, Chukou, and Kakoken were all inside one of the casual meeting places which the leader of Kyosho usually used. This one was a storage room which had numerous signs and props which the school would use for its festival days. Sousou was sitting at a simple fold out table with Kakoken and Chukou while Kakoton and Kakuka were keeping an eye on the lone window.

"What did Kanu have to say?" asked Kakuka.

"Just sharing some of the information that Seito's gleamed so far on these…Yummies," Sousou answered, tucking his phone away. "Apparently, they aren't going to be satisfied on just what they've gotten to change. These ones are going to devour the desire of the ones they were made from to make more of those silver coins we saw the bug guy use to make them." He looked to his two female Fighters. "Which means they're probably going to be gunning for the two of you in order to keep feeding off more of your loyalty to me."

Kakoken frowned while Chukou flinched. The dark-haired girl bowed her head reverently towards her leader, "I apologize, Lord Sousou. I allowed myself to become sloppy and thus a target for that creature. It seems I only made the situation worse."

"Nothing to apologize for," Sousou replied, waving off the girls' concern. "That thing was damn tough. Even I wasn't having much luck against it. At best, I just popped out one of its silver coins. That didn't really help the situation either."

What bothered Sousou about it though was that he had tapped into his Haoryuu's power and had only been able to do that much damage. Granted, it was not enough to wake the damn thing up, but enough to take down just about any Fighter out there beyond the elites and other leaders. Maybe if he used the dragon in it's entirety he may have had a shot, but then he'd risk becoming a total berserker and would slaughter potential allies against the monsters and that would be just stupid. His dragon may not have cared either way so long as he won though.

"It's essential that we put you two into some kind of protection though," Sousou continued, leaning back in his chair. "If those two monsters get enough of those silver coins in them, they'll grow into giant monsters like that big-ass moth which appeared a while ago."

"You're kidding," Kakuka frowned.

"Wish I was," Sousou grimaced.

"Can we trust Unchou's word though?" asked Chukou. "She is from an opposing school."

"Unchou's honesty is never to be questioned," Sousou answered, glancing at the volleyball player. "Besides, with these things running around our war is going to be on hold. They are way stronger than any of us and can wipe us out without trying if some of the fights I've been hearing about are any indication."

"Damn straight," Kakoton grimaced, remembering the cat monster that had beaten him down in only a few seconds.

"So then what do we do?" asked Kakuka.

"Simple," the Kyosho leader replied. "We stop fighting each other, and we start fighting them."

"A temporary truce between the opposing schools then?" Kakoken mused. "I can agree with that. But what about Youshu and Yoshuu? They were not allied with us after the demise of Totaku, and they are both very desperate for what power they can gain. What if they decide to align with the monsters?"

"Knowing those guys, I wouldn't be too surprised if they did," Sousou sighed. "I'm just hoping we won't have to come to something like that."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the front the Kyosho School, a small team of high level Fighters were packed guarding the entrance. They had been told by Sousou to keep an eye out for anything that looked remotely like an insect, or a cat, or remotely animal-like when it shouldn't. If they did, they were warned not to engage it but to alert him at once.

"Man," one Fighter groaned. "All this weird crap going down is giving me the willies. Bug monsters? Cat monsters? If it hadn't happened to Kakoton I wouldn't have believed it."

"Yeah," a second Fighter agreed. "Something stinks about all of this. It's messed up even for the kinds of things we deal with."

"Totally."

As the team continued their watch, a faint buzzing noise began to echo through the air. It wasn't an unusual sound since cicadas would make themselves something of a nuisance during this time of the year. It wasn't until the noises started to become somewhat louder that the Fighters soon put themselves on edge...

* * *

**Abandoned Bar**

Inside their place of residence, three of the four Greeed were amusing themselves with things to pass the time. While they were students of Kyosho and Seito, they didn't have much else to do outside of school hours. So, they were lounging in their true forms. Mezul was once again toying with her martini glasses, idly considering if she wanted to drink a real one or not, Gameru was emptying a jar of candy he had stolen from somewhere, and Kazali was laying across one of the bench seats the building had available. None of them were saying anything, since they had nothing much to say since they all knew what the others had accomplished lately. However, Gameru had perked up when a thought had suddenly occurred to him.

"Where's... Uva?" he questioned. The Insect Greeed hadn't been since yesterday, which was a little odd. Of course, Kazali and Mezul already knew what their comrade was doing.

"Where do you think?" Kazalo returned, turning to gaze at the childish Greeed.

"Attacking... OOO's allies?"

"Bingo!" Kazalo said with mock clapping.

"Honestly," Mezool sighed, looking up from her observations, "If he keeps this up, he would be eliminated in no time at all. They are much smarter than they look. Those children have centuries of skill behind them."

"Heh, don't worry about him. You're forgetting that the he desires only one thing; To be the last of us standing. So I doubt he will be stupid enough to get eliminated so easily," Kazalo grinned. Of course, seeing it coming and being able to do something about it were two different things.

"Hmm maybe... so what do you think his plan is?" asked Mezool curiously.

"Don't know, don't care," the cat Greeed replied. "He can do what he wants. If it brings some Cell Medals then I wouldn't mind but I'm not the type to rely on others when I can do it myself."

"Oh?" the fish Greeed raised an eyebrow. "So you have an idea then?"

"I always have an idea," Kazali replied with a grin.

* * *

**Kyosho**

The meeting with Kyosho's core Fighters was put to a screeching halt when several explosions suddenly echoed through the hallways. Some smoke was also smelled, and blue and green fires could be seen through the sole window in the room. Sousou cursed his luck as he knew what was going on.

"Everyone outside, now!" he barked, standing up. "Chukou, Kakoken, you two stay inside and make sure those things don't grab you. Everyone else, kill those things!"

"Right!" Kakoton and Kakuka nodded, racing for the exit.

"I'll rally the others," Kakuka reported, "They aren't invincible."

"Do it then," Sousou nodded. "Let's teach these things not to mess with Kyosho!"

* * *

**Seito**

The Tiger Generals, Barbarian King, and Seito Leader were still in the middle of their meeting over current issues when it occurred. Each of their bags, which carried some personal items they had with them from books, snacks, or whatever, began to hoot and move. It caught the Fighters' attention very quickly. Each bag trembled before something from within unzipped on unlatched whatever was holding them in. From the depths of each bag came a Gorilla Candroid which was waving its arms and making loud noises while their eyes flashed.

"Kawaii," Ryuubi couldn't help but coo when she saw the sight. Cute or not, the Fighters still knew what the reaction meant.

Yummies had appeared.

* * *

**Shu Estate**

Hakufu sighed happily as she enjoyed the hot bath which she managed to snag after dinner. It was so relaxing, soothing, and heaven on her body after all of the battles with Yummies she had to go through in the past.

"Ahhh, I could just fall asleep," she sighed.

**SLAM!**

"GET UP!" Ankh yelled as he barged into the bathroom, unheeding of Hakufu's lack of clothing.

"Ack!" the Booby Bombs cried, jumping out of the water and turning to see who had interrupted her bath. Seeing it was Ankh, she began to frown, uncaring of her nudity, "Ankh-chan! I'm in the bath!"

"Bath time's over!" Ankh retorted. "Now get some clothes on and let's move! Those Yummies have come back and I'm not missing out on more Cell Medals!"

"Woohoo!" Hakufu squealed as she raced passed Ankh and to her room, still just as naked as the day she was born.

Ankh sighed, "She's an adrenaline junky... but a very useful adrenaline junky nonetheless."

* * *

**Kyosho**

The fight within the Kyosho school was going in full swing as the team of Fighters went up against the twin Firefly Yummies. Normally, this would be seen as an unfair tactic, but considering how strong the monsters were, the Fighters couldn't leave anything up to chance. Already the Fighters that were sent to stop our at least delay the fireflies were beaten down to submission. Sousou, Kakuka, and Kakoton were all that were left. All three were scuffed up, bruised, and just plain looked like hell.

The battle had begun outside, but the Yummies managed to force their way into the school on sheer strength and use of their abilities, taking out most of the Fighters. Souou, Kakuka, and Kakoton's presence allowed them to herd the two Yummies into the nearby gymnasium which allowed them to keep the Yummies in an enclosed space for the time being.

However, the fight may have seemed like it was even, but the Yummies did not seem to be taking the trio seriously.

Kakuka rushed at the Blue Firefly Yummy while evading the fireballs that came at him. Getting within range, he sent earth-shattering punches that sent the Yummy back, merely fazing it. At the fourth punch, the Blue Firefly Yummy caught his fist in its grip and sent him flying upward with a burning uppercut.

"Arg!" Kakuka screamed as the burn sensation ran through his chin. He hit the ground painfully, but he wasn't out of the fight yet as he propped himself up on his elbow and rubbed his bruised chin, eyeing the approaching Kajin. "They're skilled."

"Tell us something we don't know!" Kakoton yelled back, evading the Green Firefly Yummy's fists. "This one," he continued, catching its arm in his own, "Is fighting just like Kakouen!" The Yummy's knee slammed into his stomach, making him gasp in pain, before grabbing him by the back of the shirt and slamming his face into a doomed wall.

Sousou leapt over Kakuka and smashed his fist into its helmet of the Blue Firefly Yummy, causing it to stagger back. "And this one's fighting style is just like Chukou's!" He frowned as he put up his guard. "So these monsters can copy our skills too?"

"It looks that way," Kakuka coughed, standing upright.

The Firefly Yummies stood side by side, looking at three of the strongest Fighters holding their ground. It was impressive to see three teens standing up to two monsters that were no pushovers, but the three Fighters were beginning to show some exhaustion. The trio had fought against strong and ruthless opponents before, and the Yummies were no different. Even so, said monsters were getting impatient and were not about to keep this going any longer.

Their large wings escaped from their shells as they suddenly darted at the boys, making them tense. Not waiting even a nanosecond, they shoved they boys out of the way and flew straight towards the doors of the gym which would lead deeper into the school. Incidentally, it would led them to their destination as well.

The storage room where Kakoken and Chukou were hiding!

"Stop them!" Sousou shouted as he and his followers got up to chase after the Firefly Yummies to the doors. The Green Firefly Yummy heard them and quickly turned around to spit a fireball at the lights which were illuminating the space above them and caused an explosion, sending sparks and shrapnel to explode right over them. The boys shouted the smokescreen of glass and flame as spread all around them. Looking satisfied, the Green Firefly Yummy left to join her sister.

The smokescreen and heat didn't last long before dying down, but it had been enough to let the two Yummies get moving as well as work as a suitable distraction for the three Kyosho fighters. Coughing echoed through the room as Sousou was the first to emerge from the smoke.

"Dammit!" he coughed, trying to clear his lungs. "-cough!- Kakuka! Kakoton! You guys still there?"

"Barely," was the blonde's reply as he emerged from the smoke, brushing broken glass from his shoulders. "Ton-chan, you out there?"

"GAH!" was the basic enthusiast's reply, causing the boys' hearts to stop. Zeroing on the source, they dashed towards where they knew their friend was. They found Kakoton not to far from them, but he was hunched over, clutching his face and giving panicked cries of pain. The situation was even more serious since blood was running down from between his fingers.

"Ton-chan, what's wrong?" Sousou asked.

"My…eye!" Kakoton cried, trying to speak through his pain. He desperately wanted to take out what was causing him pain, but to do so would have risked further damage to the organ in question. No quick fix would do it this time, he needed a doctor. "I got…hit in…the eye!"

"Aw shit, this is exactly what we need," Kakuka growled, kneeling next to his friend.

"Dammit," Sousou grunted, helping his friend stand up. "Kakuka, get Ton-chan out of here and get him some help. Call ambulances or whatever. At this point, we can actually claim the truth about how we all got hurt. I'll keep going after those things and try to keep them away from Kakoken and Chukou."

"What? That's nuts!" Kakuka cried. "There's no way you can take both on unless…"

"Unless I use my dragon," Sousou frowned. "It's the only chance we've got unless OOO shows up in the next few minutes."

"Sousou…" Kakua frowned, helping take Kakoton from his friend.

"GO!" Sousou snapped before he ran for the exit to the room.

* * *

**Seito**

Three figures were racing out of Seito Private School, Shamoku, Kanu, and Chou-un. Rather than heading for the gates though, they were instead running for one of the lunch spots that the students would use. It was outdoors and rather open with plenty of spaces to sit down and have a snack at. It also had some nice vending machines, including three shiny new black ones that vended new drinks that no one had heard of before.

"Over here," Kanu reported, bringing her two friends to the machines. She fished around in her blouse for a moment before producing three Cell Medals. She tossed one to both of her comrades before stepping up to one of the machines.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" asked Shamoku skeptically. "I mean, I know you said it but bikes disguised as vending machines?"

"Just watch," Kanu replied, slipping her Cell Medal into the slot of the machine. The Medal made it's rattling noise within before Kanu pressed the black button and stepped away. The vending machine instantly activated and transformed into the sleek and black RideVendor which so many people had been riding lately.

"Woah!" Shamoku gasped.

"Impressive technology," Chou-un commented, cracking an eye open so to see the process.

Neither of the two Fighters needed an invitation as they selected their own machines and transformed them into their RideVendor forms. The three Seito students immediately hopped onto their machines and hit the ignition. For Shamoku it was like riding a regular bike since many of his subordinates had motorcycles of their own which he held the right to ride in case he needed to. Kanu and Chou-un were novices, but they could accurately guess what they needed to do to get the machines running. Of course, Chou-un had to open her eyes since she wasn't used to riding such machines blind.

All three got their RideVendors up and running with only minor instruction needed from Shamoku. With their engines roaring, the trio set out to drive through the front gates so they could go out and reach where the Yummies were supposedly appearing.

But they were soon interrupted.

The three skidded to a halt at the gate where another person on a RideVendor was parked lengthwise across the entrance, blocking it. On it was a man dressed in a black riding outfit with a helmet covering his features. It may have initially been thought of as a Fighter looking for trouble, but that thought was eliminated by the fact that he was riding a RideVendor, meaning that he could be intimately connected to the situation with OOO and the Greeed.

"Just who are you?" asked Shamoku with a frown.

"An allied party," the man replied. Sitting up, he reached into his jacket slowly so not to look like he was attacking. After a moment of claiming what he wanted, he brought out what looked like a small velvet pack. Holding it up, he tossed it to the tanned girl's waiting hands. "Take that to OOO. She's going to need it in the upcoming battles."

Message delivered, the man gunned his engine and drove away. Kanu looked down into her hand at the velvet package. Curious, she opened the case to see what was in her hand. What she found was a yellow coin imprinted with the image of a lion staring back at her. Having seen such things up close before, she could immediately tell that the item was in fact a Core Medal.

"A Core Medal!" she gasped.

"Core Medal?" Shamoku blinked.

"One of the colored coins that gives the Greeed life," Kanu explained. "Likewise, they also give OOO her power. OOO is going to need this if she's already there."

"Then what the hell are we waiting around her for?" asked the Barbarian King. "Let's move already!"

The trio of Seito students gunned their engines and began roaring down the streets, now doubly determined to get to the scene of the battle. After all, they now had something that could turn the tide of battle should things not go well for OOO.

* * *

A window exploded in a blast of colorful flames before both Chukou and Kakouen were thrown out. Both girls had several burns on their bodies of the explosion. They coughed as they slowly stood back up to their feet.

"This… is bad," Chukou grimaced as stood back up.

"What was your first clue?" Kakouen retorted. She frowned as she watched the twin Yummies stepping out of the window as jumping down, cracking more of the glass shards below them. "If we try to fight them, they will only absorb more of our loyalty to Lord Sousou and become kaijus. We can't allow that."

"So what should we do?" Chukou asked. "Not fight them at all?"

"I'm afraid that's our only option," Kakouen nodded reluctantly.

* * *

As Sousou ran through the levels of his school, he did something he never thought he'd willingly do. He tried to bring out his Haoryuu. He couldn't perfectly recall how to bring it out, but he knew what had done it the last time. Seeing his friend Chukou being attacked by his judo classmates with them trying to tear her clothes off had been what set him off back then so he tried to recall that feeling of endless rage.

Back then, all of his classmates liked to laugh at her because she didn't look girly enough to be a girl but definitely not like a boy. He had heard enough talk from them about how they teased her about it. Sousou wasn't like them though. He could tell just by meeting her that she was different from most people he knew. Not a romantic feeling, but like two people who journey for the same goal. A bond of fellowship, for lack of a better description.

Seeing those boys trying to strip her so they could see if she was a girl and possibly worse once they finally got her stripped, threatening that fellowship just enraged Sousou and the dragon saw it as an opportunity to escape from its imprisonment.

Sousou's vision turned red…

* * *

Kokouen and Chukou were smashed against the back wall of the roof by the two Yummies. They were battered and bruised with blood trickling from a few wounds. The two girls had attempted to battle the Yummies and took their battle to the roof of Kyosho for extra space, taking a few glancing hits as they ran for their fighting space. From there, the battle really got started. Chukou and Kakouen attempted to fight back against the Yummies which hunted them.

It didn't go so well in their favor.

The two Yummies seemed to have gotten better in fighting since they were first spawned and managed to copy the fighting styles of the two girls perfectly, matching blow for blow with echoing cracks. However, what made the difference for the monsters was the fact that they were so much faster and managed to incorporate that into their fighting styles. All the while they continued their loyalty sucking from the pair of girls, drawing more Cell Medals into themselves and incidentally getting stronger.

Before the battle could continue, the door that was leading to the exit was suddenly blasted opened in mass a red flames, grabbing the attention of the two Fighters and two Yummies. Calmly walking out of the doorway was the leader of Kyosho himself, bathed in an aura of red, menacing emotions, with his eyes golden yellow with reptilian slits, signifying that his Haouryuu had taken over.

"Lord... Sousou..." Kokouen whispered. Chukou gaped as she witnessed her obviously enraged lord.

The Firefly Yummies were visibly not expecting this turn of events. They were not expecting a seemingly ordinary human, a child no less, to suddenly appear with this much power. His own presence on its own was bringing pressure down on the air. The same feeling that could only be brought by the Multi-King himself. How was this possible? How was it that he was able to make their knees quake? Who was this boy, really?

In a speed that very few could match, but much slower than the Cheetah Legs, Sousou closed the gap between him and the twin Yummies before taking them both by the throats and charging into the fence. The resulting force caused them to crash through the fence, causing them to fall of the roof. All three fell towards the ground before colliding with a massive crash with sent dust flying in all directions. Both Yummies were mashed into the ground, still struggling with Sousou's grip on their throats. What was odd though was that there wasn't a large crater from the impact, but a small one with the imprint of a roaring Chinese dragon circling around it.

In spite of being obviously intimidated by the raging reincarnated warlord, the Blue Firefly Yummy spat a fireball at Sousou's face, blinding him slightly and causing him to release his prey so to recover his blurring vision. His element being fire, blurred vision was all the injury the fireball did. Finally freed, the Green Firefly Yummy jetted at Sousou for a ramming tackle. However, he recovered quickly and backhanded the monster to the side. She rolled sideways, only for Sousou to seemingly warp up to her and continue his brutal assault with powerful punches and kicks. The Green Firefly Yummy tried to struggle out of his grip as Cell Medals started to spill out with each blow.

Seeing her sister in danger, the Blue Firefly Yummy flew over and capture Sousou in a headlock. Snarling, he gripped his hands on the Yummy's helmet and tried to throw her off, but the legs were also gripped around his waist, making it all the more difficult. As he tried to get the large insect off his back, the other one managed to recover as the harsh beating and leapt over to assist, attacking Sousou with a chain of kicks and punches.

Feeling assaulted, Sousou released an enraged roar as a mass of aura blasted out of his body, rejecting the Twin Firefly Yummies off of his body. Both flew through the air and crashed through the trees and walls that surrounded the school. Sousou panted and growled like an angry animal, ready to continue his assault.

At least he was about to when green thunderbolts flashed around him. He shielded himself as the blots struck, then quickly glared at the direction they came from.

"So you were holding back on me, eh?" the voice of Uva rang through the schoolyard before the Insect Greeed himself came striding through the smoke of his attack. "I should feel insulted for that."

"Hnn," Sousou growled in his fury. Here was his true enemy. The threat to his power, his nation, his authority, his very superiority! Digging his feet into the ground, he charged at Uva with his red aura trailing behind him like the tail of a comet. His fist was reared back for a punch that would absolutely destroy any unfortunate human it was used on.

…but we all know that Uva was not human.

The Greeed's body lit up with green electricity as he dashed to meet the reborn emperor head on. It didn't take them long to meet up with one another, grabbing each other's fists to prevent the other from striking them. Red draconic power clashed against green human desire run rampant in a clash to see who was superior. Rocks started to float up in the air as if gravity was nothing. Sousou bellowed with the fury of a man who desired nothing but all he surveyed, a truly powerful thing in itself. However, Uva was that and more. He was born from that desire and had grown into the pure unchecked desire to consume everything given sentience. He wasn't at full power of course, but he was pretty close.

Sousou's roar turned into a growl as he began to struggle to match the Greeed's might. He began to pushed back, the ground breaking against his feet as he struggled to get a foothold. Emperor of one of the three kingdoms he may have been, but Uva was born to be a weapon which could topple kingdoms.

"HUURAGH!" Uva bellowed, his green aura blast through Sousou's red and sending him hurtling through the air. The berserker Leader smashed into the wall of his school with a massive blast.

Sousou gagged at the impact, coughing up blood. He snarled at the Greeed, but the kaijin seemed to find it more amusing than anything else.

"You're lucky I'm down on a few of my Cores," Uva snickered. "Otherwise I'd have turned you to paste with that move."

Sousou snarled as he staggered back to his feet, but then suddenly felt his legs going numb. He fell on his legs and knees and panted. His aura died out and his reptilian eyes reverted back to that of a normal human's.

"D…damn it…" Sousou cursed. Out of all the time for his power to run out on him, it had to be this.

"Out of energy?" Uva questioned. "Too bad." He stalked forward and rose up his claws to finish the job.

"Uva-chan!" a voice cried out. Uva turned around just in time to see a RideVendor racing at him in ramming speed. The bike kicked up and rammed the front wheel onto Uva's chest before the wheel spun in place, causing Cell Medals to spill out of it. Growling, Uva knocked the wheel off of himself, only for the bike to spin around so that the back wheel was facing him to knock him to the side.

Uva rolled back to his feet and glared at the Rider, "I was wondering when you would show up, OOO."

Hakufu jumped off her bike and tossed her helmet aside, "Sorry to keep you waiting!" She smiled as she placed the OOO Diver onto her waist. Ankh had already drove in with Hakufu and frowned as he noticed Uva.

"So Uva is here too. Great," his true fingers flicked up three Cores. "No fooling around this time." He tossed them to Hakufu, who quickly caught them.

"Got it!" She nodded. She put the Cores in each of their places and then swung the OOO Scanner over them, "Henshin!"

**"KUWAGATA! UNAGI! CHEETAH!"**

The crest formed before the Nanyo leader before colliding with her, creating the armour which was anti-thesis to the Greeed themselves. When the change was complete, OOO removed her Unagi Whips and took a ready stance to face off against the green Greeed who was intent on her destruction.

"Again you insult me by using my Medals!" Uva snarled. "OOO! I will kill you for this insult!"

"You'll try!" OOO teased. "And you'll blow it like always!"

Bellowing, Uva charged for OOO with his killing intent almost saturating the air.

From his own position, Sousou could only watch in his weakened state. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. It wasn't the fighting that was making him feel shocked, but the fact that it was Hakufu Sonsaku who was wearing the armour! So she was the mysterious Armored Fighter everyone was talking about? Sure, she was one of the three kings like he was, but last he heard she was a ditz and outside of a one on one fight not much of a strategist. How had she lucked into the abilities of the armour?

"Come here, you!" Uva shouted as he lunged forward with lighting attacks. OOO swerved and veered around them, warping his arms with the whips as she did. She pulled Uva in and struck fast and hard with lightning fast kicks. She kicked off him before sending a lightning bolt from the air, knocking Uva into the wall.

"Now try this!" OOO shouted as she landed. "I call it the Super Electro Wave!" she started to swing the whips in front of her as electricity channeled from the horns to the whips. The whips soon sparked with green and blue lightning before she swung them forward with great strength. Electric shots suddenly shot out from the whips and cut through the air, directly aimed at Uva. The Greeed quickly rolled out of the way, allowing the bolt to blast the wall into smoking smithereens.

"Interesting," Ankh muttered as he observed the fight. "She channeled the two Core Medals into one single assault. Even he never thought of doing that. Maybe there is a brain in that empty head of hers after all."

Uva landed on the ground with a growl, glaring at OOO for the insult of not only using one of his Medals, but using its power against him. Getting up, he would have charged again at his enemy, but then he spotted something. Instead, he began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" asked OOO.

"Just that a so-called Fighter failed to pay attention to what's going on around her," the insect Greeed laughed.

"Huh?"

**FWOOSH! FWOOSH!**

**BOOM!**

"ACK!" OOO bellowed. She had been struck from behind by a pair of fireballs from the two Firefly Yummies which had recovered from Sousou's beating. OOO was sent flying from the impacts and skidded across the ground before she came to a stop with a groan. Uva continued to chuckle as he approached from the front with cracking knuckles while the Firefly Yummies began to approach from behind. Soon she ended up being punch and slashed around like a pinball as Uva and his minions started pummeling her. OOO cried out as sparks erupted from each blow.

"Ah hell," Ankh grimaced. Two Yummies were bad enough from the start. If he had three sets of Medals it could turn the tide for the fight. Unfortunately, they had lost the Kamakiri Medal, so OOO is in way deep at the moment.

The chance that they needed would come in the form of three RiderVendors rolling into the school grounds. Remove her helmet, Kanu saw the not-so-favorable position OOO was in. Frowning, she took out the Medal Case from her blouse. "Ankh!" she called over to the bird Greeed. "Throw another yellow Core Medal to OOO!"

"Why should I do that?" Ankh snapped at her. "How will that help?"

"It will! Because I have this!" Kanu retorted as she revealed the Lion Medal to him, much to his shock.

"Where did you get THAT?" Ankh demanded.

"Later," Kanu retorted. "Just throw OOO the other one!"

Ankh cursed under his breath, but he didn't have much wriggle room. Flicking his wrist, he produced the Tora Medal which would complete the new set which was ready. Looking to see OOO recovering, he shouted out to her, "Oi! Girl! Catch!" He then tossed the yellow Medal through the air, Kanu doing the same with the one she had.

OOO looked up to see both her friend and the new arrivals. She was surprised to see Kanu and the other two, but she would be happy to have any sort of backup. When they both threw Core Medals at her, she quickly reacted. Jumping to her feet, she dashed ahead with the Cheetah Legs and dove past Uva, surprising the Greeed who had been expecting an attack before catching both Medals in her hands.

"Huh?" Uva blinked (or would have if he had eyelids) before turning to see what had gotten his opponent's attention.

"Got 'em!" OOO cheered, clenching the pieces in her hands. Opening her hands, she spied one familiar Medal, but the other one was brand new. "Oh cool! A Full Combo!"

"What?-!" Gasped Uva, his two Firefly Yummies flinching at the cry.

OOO turning her attention back to Uva, "You're in trouble now Uva-chan!" she laughed, quickly yanking out the Kuwagata and Unagi Medals. The Lion and Tora Medals were slipped into place soon after. "Now let's see what this Combo does!" Locking the Driver in place, she swiped the O-Scanner across the three Medals.

"**RAION!**"

"**TORA!**"

"**CHEETAH!**"

"**RATA RATA RATORA~TAH!**"

The crests formed together and merged to become the all yellow combination before colliding with OOO. The Tora Arms formed and so did a new helmet. This one was decorated with yellow adornments which made it look like a lion's mane with a blue stone on the forehead. The eye pieces had turned bright blue while the rest of the face was framed with golden yellow and small sections which almost looked like whiskers.

"HHHRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" OOO screamed out, unleashing a primal bellow which was accompanied by a massive pulse of light which surged out from the jewel on her helmet, covering everything in golden light with the heat of it even ruining the concrete. Those closest to the light, Uva and his Yummies though also felt the full power of the Full Combo as sparks burst from their hides. The Firefly Yummies flew backwards from the blows, spilling Cell Medals as they went before hitting the ground. Uva struggled to get away from the light, his armor smoking from the searing heat.

"Gah!" Sousou grimaced from the heat. It was even hotter than his flames!

"Woah!" Shamoku cried, shielding his eyes.

"What-?-!" Chou-un gasped, feeling the power rather than seeing it since she had closed her eyes.

"It's hot!" Kanu cried.

"The power of the yellow Core Medals," Ankh muttered, shielding his eyes. "There's a reason why we called it the Scorching Combo."

OOO made the light disperse instantly with a wave of her hand. Glaring at the aggressors, she declared, "Now I'm really fired up!"

"Shit," Uva cursed, trying to guard his smoldering chest. Things were defiantly not looking good now. With OOO now in possession of Kazalo's Core Medals, she could now do him in with little effort. That and the fact that he wasn't at full power yet. The reborn kings may be a general defense, but OOO at the top of her game was something else all together. "You lucked out for now, OOO," Uva declared before leaping away.

OOO unfolded the Tora Claws and dusted them off with a clanking sounds. "Let's see you try and catch me now!" she challenged.

The Firefly Yummies REALLY did not want to be a part of this, but with their master gone, they have been left in a critical position. Getting desperate, they both shot fireballs at the armored heroine. She punched and slashed at the flames, causing a fiery blast. Dashing out of the explosion and towards the two Firefly Yummies, moving at a speed even they found themselves slow to react to, OOO launched a savage kick into the Green Firefly Yummy's chin, sending it sprawling into the air with a choked cry. Then by crouching low, she launched herself straight up after it, the muscles in her legs easily allowing her to catch up. Grabbing the Yummy by the shoulders in mid-air, OOO began unleashing a dizzying amount of rapid kicks which smashed into the kaijin's chest, "Yah-yah-yah-yah-yah-yah-yah-yah-yah-yah-yah-ah-yah-yah-yah-yah-yah!"

**BOOM!**

The sheer number and the force of the kicks quickly overwhelmed the Yummy, destroying it before letting Cell Medals rain down onto the ground while OOO landed on her feet, "Who's next?"

The Blue Firefly Yummy didn't even try to fight and instead made a break for it, leaving a blue streak in the air as it tried to flee for its life. OOO turned to watch it go for only a second before she likewise dashed off after it, herself a yellow blur. She moved ahead of the Yummy and came to a halt right in front of the monster. It cringed in fear as the female Kamen Rider appeared in front without effort.

"Why are you running?" she mock asked before slashing it across the chest. It cried out in pain as it stumbled backwards, Cell Medals spilling out from the wound. OOO didn't stop the punishment there as she continued to slash and stab at her target, Cell Medals falling with each blow. She gave it a reversed roundhouse to send it spiraling backwards, and then she dusted her claws again before swinging them to shoot golden claw arcs at the Yummy. They exploded against it, causing more Medals to fall as it flew farther. Not about to let it gain second wind, she reached to her side and grabbed the O-Scanner, and swung it across the Diver.

**"SCANNING CHARGE!"**

Yellow rings projected between OOO and the drowned Blue Firefly Yummy. She then rushed through them towards the Yummy. As she was close enough, her entire helmet flashed with the blinding light of Liodias. The Yummy howled and struggled to see and OOO roared, "SEE-YAH!" before swinging her Tora Claws at it. The claws shone with intense heat and light before they struck the Yummy and cut through it like a hot knife through butter. The beast let out an crying scream before exploding into a haze of heat and a shower of Cell Medals.

The explosion echoed through the area, making everything else seem quiet save for the deep breathing OOO was doing as she stood up from her stance. "Heat End," she quipped. "Heh. I always wanted to say that."

Ankh picked up a handful of Cell Medals in his Greeed hand and smirked. "Quite a haul we've gotten." He then frowned as he remembered the deal that was made with Kougami. Not wanting to spoil his mood with such thoughts, Ankh started collecting the Cell Medals.

OOO, already feeling the draining effects of using a Full Combo made her way towards the Ride Vendor and hopped on and drove away to get some rest. Meanwhile, Sousou was mulling over the information he'd just gained on the identity of OOO's.

Hakufu was OOO. This definitely changed things.

* * *

Upon reaching her house, OOO dematerialized her armor and dragged herself inside, going up to her room before falling unconscious on the floor. She never made it to her futon. The OOO Driver, still strapped to her waist, glinted with the full yellow set of Core Medals inside.

* * *

**Kougami Foundation**

"Subarashi!" cheered Kougami as he watched the footage of the battle on his computer screen. The night sky had darkened his office and brought the need to turn on the lights. He was holding a glass of wine while watching the battle and with him was of course Goto who stood at attention despite wanting to see the battle as well. "It seems Ms. OOO is as amazing as expected! She's able to wield the power of OOO stupendously!"

"Pardon me, sir," said Goto, "But is it really alright for someone like her to have that kind of power?"

"Goto-kun," Kougami sighed. "Don't think of might've beens and could haves. This is how things are. Hakufu Sonsaku is OOO and nothing will change that, no matter how much you want it to. There are even some things that desire cannot grant you."

* * *

**Kyosho**

Feeling the last of the Cell Medals settle inside of his arm, Ankh turned to glare at Kanu, Chou-Un, and Shamoku. He strode towards them with an incredibly deep frown which meant nothing but trouble for just about everyone.

"Start talking!" he snapped at Kanu. "Where did you get that Core Medal? I highly doubt you picked a fight with Kazali to get it!"

Kanu took the demand in stride and kept her reserve, "It was given to us."

"Given to you?" Ankh blinked. Did Kazali actually give up one of his cores in some kind of plan? Impossible, but…

"By a man in a black suit on a motorcycle," Kanu explained. "We don't know who he is or who he was working for, but he was the one with the Core Medal and told us to give it to Hakufu."

"Someone else with a Core Medal?" Ankh frowned. Who the hell would be able to get their hands on one? Unless they had something serious backing them up, nobody should be able to take a Core Medal from a Greeed unless it was given to them.

"We're just as clueless as you are," Shamoku shrugged. "But the timing couldn't have been more perfect. Be glad for that."

Ankh frowned as he folded his arms. Someone else was in position of Core Medals? Who could it have been? The only people he could think of that know what's going on are himself, Hakufu, some of the Fighters that can't keep their noses where they are, and...

_' Kougami,"_ Ankh growled mentally. He was the only one left that knew about the Greeed. It must have been one of his lackeys that gave them the Medal. What other secrets was that bastard keeping from him?

* * *

**Present Medal Count: Taka x2, Tora, Batta, Kuwagata, Raion, Cheetah, Unagi, Tako x2**

**COUNT THE MEDALS SEGMENT**

"Wooohooo!" the cheery voice of Hakufu cheered as she leaped onto the stage for the special segment. "Okay everyone, after a really long time we're back once again with our awesome little show called Count the Medals!" a burst of confetti and cheers erupted to celebrate the announcement. "As always, I'm your super cute host, Hakufu Sonsaku! With me today is one of our new allies against the forces of the Greeed, Chou-un Shiryuu!"

More cheers erupted as the silver-haired swordswoman of Seito walked onto the stage. Of course her eyes were closed yet she waved to the audience as she smoothly stepped up onto the stage as if they were open, "It's a pleasure to be here."

"How do you do that with your eyes closed all the time?" Hakufu asked bluntly.

"Years of practice," Chou-un smiled enigmatically. "Now, don't we have a show to do? I'm sure the fans have waited long enough."

"Yeah, it's been a super long time since we last showed up," Hakufu nodded. "All right then, let's get this show on the road! The next Medal were going to look at is…!"

"Drum roll please," Chou-un smiled.

"**CHEETAH!**"

"The Cheetah Medal!" Hakufu cheered as yellow confetti rolled down from above. "This cool Medal equips me with the Cheetah Legs and allow me to run super fast so I can get anywhere in a flash!"

"It also allows Hakufu to unleash rapid kicks which can pierce through a Yummy and destroy it if the assault lasts long enough," Chou-un added.

"The fact that it's yellow also means that it comes from Kazali," the Booby Bombs continued. "This Medal I managed to snag from him during that giant moth Yummy attack. He sure didn't like it when he lost it."

"It means that he's one step closer to being destroyed completely," spoke Chou-un. "Since we have three yellow Medals now, we only need to get six more in order to defeat him once and for all."

"Right! I can't wait to kick his butt again! This is all so exciting!" Hakufu grinned like a child expecting Christmas. "Oooooh, I can't wait! Still, that's all the time we have for today! Come back soon where we explore further Medals and their magical powers! So to every one of you loyal audience members, this is Hakufu Sonsaku…"

"And Chou-un Shiryuu."

"Signing off! Bye-bye!"

* * *

**Ten-Faced Paladin: Okay, okay, it's been a while I know. I feel bad enough about it as it is. Please don't rub it in our faces.**

**Kamen Rider Chrome: I know we've been leaving you hanging with this. Well, now's the time to rejoice! It's finally here! Now, hope you all enjoy this as much as we did writing it.**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: We do not own Kamen Rider OOO or Ikki Tousen. Those belong to their respective creators and not us. Sorry gold diggers.

**OOO MEDALS OF IKKI TOUSEN**

**By Ten-Faced Paladin, Talismo4ever and Kamen Rider Chrome**

**Chapter 9: Of a Bento, a Heartbreak, and the 1000**

Chuubou Sonken wasn't her real name. She wasn't even the sister of Hokufu Sonsaku. It was just the name she assumed to get close to Hakufu's main guardian, Kokin Shuyu. Contrary to what others may think once they learned that, this scheme was anything but malicious. It was very much the opposite of that, actually.

She was having very disturbing nightmares. Nightmares that she wasn't able to fathom. In the darkness, she could see Kokin being menaced by green insects, yellow cats, blue fish, grey apes, red birds, orange reptiles, black scorpions, and pink bats. He did everything he could to shake them off, but it only increased the torment. She tried to reach out for him, but he was being pulled farther and farther away, until suddenly, he was swallowed up by a purple Tyrannosaurs, creatures and all.

She knew that there something wrong. These dreams... they were telling her that something had happened to Kokin. Something bad. Immediately, she talked to Daikyo about her visions, and that she needed to go to Kanto straight away to look after her destined husband. Normally, Daikyo would have declined, as she and Kokin were not yet mature to meet each other face to face. Still, her sister relented after the amount of pleading that she had put into her request. Normally she was very agreeable and if you had a good reason for denying her anything she would accept it, revealing her discipline and maturity. After calling Goei, the necessary preparations were made, and she was off to the Kanto Region.

Upon arriving to the Shuyu Estate, she was overjoyed to see that Kokin was alright. Although, she didn't expect him to be so... rough? Yes, rough. Maybe he's just like that to keep Hakufu safe, though it might not be such a good idea. As Sun Tzu once said, "_If you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle._"

Still, everyone at school was nice. Ryomou Shimei was straightforward. Gakushu was very friendly. Saji Genpou... was lewd, but thoughtful. There was also Shoichi Sonshoko, the newest student at Nanyo who was proving to be very nice although she couldn't understand why it seemed that he was afraid of her.

In spite of everything appearing to be fine in Kanto, she had been also hearing rumors about strange monsters attacking the city. There was even word about to giant monsters, one a bee and another a moth, appearing sometime before she arrived before someone, with the help of the other schools, defeated them. Could it be that these monster sightings had something to do with her vision?

Shokyo prayed she was wrong.

* * *

**Shu Household**

Ankh was stewing on the roof overlooking the backyard of the Shuyu property. He had the Lion Medal in his hand, the sunlight shining off of its surface. His mind was still thinking about the fact that Kougami had it in his possession to just hand over when he thought that it would come in handy for him and Hakufu.

"How many more does he have?" he asked himself. "More importantly, how many of mine does he have stashed away somewhere?"

Ankh clenched his fist and reabsorbed the Lion Medal into his arm. He was going to have to do some research into Kougami. He first thought the man was an idiot with a birthday fetish, but he was turning into more of a threat with each stunt he pulled. First by taking so many of his Cell Medals, now holding Core Medals? It spoke of more than a moron with backing.

Just who was he really?

"Kokin-niisama!"

"Speaking of annoyances," Ankh growled to himself.

Chuubou was making an absolute pest of herself ever since she showed up in the household. He tried grilling that wench Goei dozens of times and he did not believe for one instance that she was Hakufu's sister nor was she related to his host. Still the woman would clam up and wouldn't confirm or deny what the girl's relation was. His suspicions grew further when none of Hakufu's friends would believe that she was a relation either. They didn't bear any resemblance and their personalities were very different.

'_Maybe if I don't speak and ignore her, she'll give up and go away,_' Ankh thought to himself as he lay back and tried to ignore the girl's voice.

The pest part of his problems with her came from the fact that she wouldn't leave him alone! Every morning she'd come storming into his room with that annoyingly happy smile and her sunny chatter, all but pushing him into the living room where the breakfast she made would be waiting. She'd pester him with questions about Kokin and wonder if they could do something together. The only thing that made it bearable would be the food she made. Then she'd have one of those lunchboxes under his nose before she would follow him and Hakufu to the torture district (Nanyo Academy) like a damn lost dog. Then she'd come during lunch 'just to chat' and then meet them at the gates after school before she'd hover around him like a shadow, poking her nose where it didn't belong when he was trying to do a tally on the remaining Medals or see if the other Greeed had been up to anything. He was tempted to many times to break his cover as Kokin because she would not just GO AWAY!

"Kokin-niisama!" he heard the girl call out again.

'_I'm not here you little pest. Go away!_' Ankh frowned to himself.

Just why was it that the girl continued to pester him so? Alright, so she thinks that he is his host, but his host wasn't here! Why was she interested in him anyway? What did she know about him? It wasn't like they had met before or anything! Hell, she had never met Kokin before as far as Ankh could tell so just why the hell was she claiming him as her future husband?

"Kokin-niisama! I made a snack!"

"Tsk!" Ankh frowned. He repositioned himself so to walk across the roof before leaping over to the streets. What the hell was it going to take to make her go away!-?

* * *

**Seito High School**

The swimming pool of Seito High was empty save for a single pair. Sitting on one of the bleachers was the new student Gama Sagozou who was holding a jar of candies and munching on them as he watched the person in the pool go about her laps. Of course, the person actually using the pool was the other new student known as Mizu Shauta. Gama was in his school uniform while Mizu was in the school swimsuit for girls.

"Hmmm," Mizu sighed, drifting on her back. "Such a nice way to relax."

"Mnnn," Gama shrugged, munching his candy.

Mizu smiled before she turned over and swam to the edge of the pool where the stairs were situated. Coming out, she pushed her hair back to keep it out of her eyes. She would have walked to take a towel and reunite with Gama, but her path was quite suddenly blocked by five figures. They were Seito students, all of which were female. They were all looking at Mizu with frowns on their faces and challenges in their eyes.

"Can I help you, sempai?" asked Mizu teasingly.

"Can it, freshman!" the leader of the group, a tall girl with brown hair. "You've been infringing on our territory. This pool belongs to the swim team and we don't like anyone who's below us using it without our permission."

"Oh?" Mizu blinked, putting a hand on her chin, "I was under the assumption that this pool could be used by all Seito students."

"Mmm?" Gama grunted, looking up at the commotion. He frowned as he saw five mean girls picking on Mizu. Growling, he stood up from the bleachers to confront the girls, but five boys quickly stood in his path. "Ah?-!"

"Sorry pal," one of the boys said, "But this is between your girl and ours."

"It basically is," the lead girl continued. "But you need permission from us! To use this sacred pool without it is not allowed!"

"Oh, well I'm sorry to hear that," Mizu frowned. "Let me ratify that." She stretched her right foot out before taping it lightly three times. A small rumbling was felt, which caused the Swim Team to do a double take. It was a second later when the water from the pool suddenly exploded and splashed the Swim Team to the side.

The girls screamed as they were swept away into a soggy pile. Mizu merely smiled and watched them struggle to get back onto their feet, "I thought the Swim Team would be able to handle a little wave like that."

"You bitch!" the leader snapped as she and her comrades scrambled to their feet. She dashed towards Mizu with an arm brought back before lashing out with a straight punch. Mizu easily slipped past the blow and twisted around her attacker. The team leader tried to attack a second time, but Mizu easily twisted around the blows, moving almost like an eel. Another blow was easily dodged before Mizu made another twist which turned into a roundhouse kick which knocked the team leader onto her back.

"Mizu!" Gama shouted, seeing his sister figure in trouble. He tried to charge forward and go help her, but the group of five boys tackled him to try and put him down.

Mizu watched the event, starting to giggle, "Oh, now you've done it. You've gotten Gama-chan upset. You mustn't like your boyfriends very much if you sent them after him."

"What?" was what the leader could only say before a loud voice shrieked out.

"RRRAAAAAAHHH!-!-!-!" an angry voice echoed before all the boys were sent flying up into the air. Gama stood up, his face an angry red with steam blowing out from his nose with each breath he took. That would have made him appear comical, if not for the grey battle aura that swirled around him, signifying how angry he was.

"You won't hurt Mizu!" Gama thundered as he stomped over, the ground shaking with every step he took.

The Swim Team now knew that they were in over their heads. It was obvious that Gama was dumb muscle, which was why they had sent their boyfriends while they dealt with the girl. It seemed that Gama was much stronger than they anticipated and it was now going to bite them in their butts.

As Gama stalked closer to the group of female Fighters, one of their men managed to get back up to his feet before charging towards the gray magatama wielder. Grabbing the boy's shoulder, he spun him around to punch him in the face. Gama growled and quickly captured the fist before it could strike him.

"Go away!" Gama bellowed, punching the boy in the stomach. The force was so great, it sent him sailing backwards before landing heavily on the tiles. The force actually pushed the moist tiles up from the ground and to the air as he slid backwards a few more feet, creating a prominent pathway of dirt and stone. He wasn't going to be getting back up for awhile. The Swim Team felt themselves getting wet in their nether regions as they witnessed this happening, and it wasn't due to a climax!

The distraction taken care of, Gama turned to glare at the group of girls. He would have continued on his mission to beat them up, but Mizu had stepped up next to him and began rubbing his shoulder. It seemed to calm him down, "There, there, Gama-chan. It's okay. Those mean girls learned their lesson and aren't going to bother me anymore," she turned a gaze at the fallen girls. "Right?"

"Y-yeah, we're sorry," the leader whimpered, still winded from Gama's terrifying power. "You can use the pool whenever you like." Not willing to cut their lives short any longer, the Swim Team picked themselves up and scampered to get their boyfriends. With what just happen, a little TLC wasn't such a bad idea right now.

"Ah, my little Gameru-chan," Mizu cooed as she rubbed his head. "There's no need to be afraid now. They're all gone."

"Hai… Mezul," Gama blushed with a light smile.

"Good boy," Mizu smiled. She walked over to get her towel, "Now then, let's get going."

"Where are we going?" Gama asked.

Mizu gained a sinister gleam in her eyes as she dried herself off. "We're going to take a little walk around the town."

LINE BREAK

Ankh had his hands in his pockets as he walked through the streets, a rough snarl on his face. He was glad to be out of the house and away from Chuubou, but he had absolutely nothing to do. There wasn't even a Yummy for him to try and take down. All he saw was the worthless distractions and nothing even a bit worthwhile in his eyes. He needed Cell Medals and his Cores dammit!

"Hey, if it isn't Kokin Shuyu."

Ankh perked up and looked around. In front of him were a small group of thugs that all had smirks on their faces. Predictably, each of them was sporting magatama which revealed them as Fighters. He didn't recognize them from Nanyo and they didn't sport Seito colors plus Kyosho was officially anti-Greeed so they were likely from one of the smaller schools who were either ignorant of the situation or wanted to take advantage of it.

"You're awfully far away from Nanyo's turf," one of the thugs snickered.

"Yeah, we'd thought you'd stick to hanging out behind the Booby Bombs' skirt!" laughed a second.

"Seems like he's got a backbone after all," grinned the leader. "Too bad we're going to have to break it."

Rather than be intimidated perhaps like Kokin would have been, Ankh just grinned and flexed his right hand. "Hello stress relief."

* * *

Chuubou hurried down the street, a bento in her hands. She had been looking for Kokin when Goei-kaasama playfully pointed out where he went and how she could follow him. It warmed the girl's heart knowing that she had such strong support for her impending relationship with Kokin. So she followed the older woman's directions which she was sure would take her to one of the places Kokin liked to hang out in his spare time. Maybe…maybe they would finally get some time alone together.

The thought made her cheeks grow warm.

* * *

Kanu walked down the streets with her shielded Green Dragon Crescent Blade in hand and her eyes trained for anything out of the ordinary. Some of Seito's contacts had been reporting some thugs from Yoshu were pressing on the territory lines with all of the chaos with the Yummies going on. While dealing with the Greeed was important, they couldn't ignore other enemy schools lest they get attacked at a moment of vulnerability.

Coming along one of the side streets, she heard the telltale noises of fighting. Gripping her weapon, Kanu picked up her speed and ran towards the source. She passed into the side street and skidded to a halt where the noises were coming from. Rather than a fight, she entered the closing end of a curb stomp battle.

Thugs who she could tell came from Yoshu were littering the round, unconscious, bloody, and missing some teeth. Sitting on a fire escape where the largest of the thugs was hanging precariously on the railing was none other than Ankh, a satisfied grin on his face and his Greeed arm revealed to the world around him.

Kanu looked at the condition of the Fighters on the ground and then back up at the grinning Ankh, "Worked off some steam?"

"Hm?" Ankh blinked, glancing down to Kanu. "Oh, it's you. Yeah, I did. Gonna make something of it?"

"Since they weren't Saito, Nanyo, or Kyosho not really," Kanu shrugged. "You must have been in a bad mood if you did this much damage. You usually leave this sort of thing to Hakufu."

"Damn right I was steamed," Ankh sighed, leaping off of his perch onto the ground. "That little blonde pest never gives me any peace."

"Blonde pest?' Kanu raised an eyebrow. "You mean Hakufu?"

"No, I mean that little pest Sonken Chuubou!" Ankh growled.

"Sonken Chuubou?" Kanu frowned, the name bringing a note of recognition. "You mean Sun Quan, the younger brother of Sun Ce during the Three Kingdoms era? The one who took the throne after Sun Ce was assassinated?"

"That's what she calls herself," Ankh frowned. "But if she's really Hakufu's sister I'll eat my wings when I get my body back."

Kanu frowned, "You don't think she is who she says she is?"

"I'd bet my Cores on it," Ankh growled. "You only have to look at them to be able to tell that the twits aren't related. Their personalities are completely opposite and only one of them shares any kind of resemblance to that witch Hakufu calls a mother. It's like staring at a sun and a moon."

"Who do you think she is then? An assassin?" asked Kanu. This sounded serious. If an assassin had come for Hakufu, it could mean bad things especially in the middle of the conflict with the Greeed. She was currently the only one of them who could use the Core Medals' power until the end of her life, and as a consequence the only one who can destroy the Yummy and wound the Greeed, so one of the weaker schools may have sent someone after her so that they could use the Medals for themselves. Still, only Kanu, and a few others knew how the OOO Driver worked, so who else could have known?

"If she was, I would have known that from the first moment I saw her," Ankh huffed, "I can not only sense Yummies, but the desires of humans as well. And what she desired wasn't Hakufu, but Kokin Shuyu."

"Pardon?" Kanu blinked. There was something you don't hear every day.

"The runt said that she was my future wife!" Ankh continued to rant, "I've looked into the boy's memories, and none of them included her! And why is she always bugging me? Can't she tell that I want nothing to do with her? The brat wouldn't leave me alone so just decided to get away from the house. Good thing these losers here were around or else I wouldn't have been able to cool off."

Kanu rested her guandao over her shoulders, "I didn't realize that you Greeed could feel stress like the rest of us."

"Damn right we can," Ankh grunted, standing from his perch. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna find some grub. Beating down these chumps gave me an appetite. Ja ne." He didn't say another word as he blurred into the air.

Kanu could guess that with having to give up sixty percent of the Cell Medals and now with some girl claiming to be Hakufu's successor who was crushing on him, Ankh was getting peeved with the developments so far. Still, why would someone bearing the name Chuubou Sonken claim that she is the wife of Kokin Shuyu? The only who ends up marrying him is...

Wait a minute...

A sudden sound took her out of her thoughts. Turning to the corner of the street, she found a wrapped up bento on the ground. Kneeling, she picked it up to examine it closer. It was still warm and fresh.

"This isn't good," she frowned.

She didn't realize that she was being watched. Sitting inside of a blue compact car that was parked on the other side of the street was Dr. Maki, and in the passenger seat with a safety chair made just for it was his doll.

"Another desire has been realized," Dr. Maki muttered. "This will make an interesting observation."

* * *

'_He hates me! He hates me! He hates me! He hates me!_'

Those were Chuubou's thoughts as she dashed through the streets, her vision blurred with tears. She had followed Kokin's trail to try and give him the bento she made, but she then heard his voice from a side street. Thinking she found him, she turned onto the street to say hello. She then froze when she saw the beautiful tanned girl talking to him and she hid. He spoke so…so…casually to her, making Chuubou's heart sink feeling that the girl was quite close to Kokin while she was still at arm's length. Then Kokin ranted about how much he disliked her, was suspicious of her, and a number of things he hated about her.

That made her heart shatter like fine china.

Sobbing while continuing to run, Chuubou found herself in an empty parking lot when her legs finally couldn't run anymore. She dropped to the ground limply, curled in a ball while she continued to cry without shame. Her Kokin, her destiny, her very reason for being born who she was, everything she worked to be…he didn't want anything to do with her.

'_Why does he hate me? What did I do? Why is he so mad at me? I'm sorry Kokin. Please forgive me. I'm sorry. Please give me another chance._'

So engrossed in her heartbreak, Chuubou didn't notice the pair of Seito students entering the parking lot. One male, and one female approached her with blue and gray magatama sparkling in the sunlight.

"Ohhh ohhh, it looks like the poor girl had her heart broken," the girl whispered.

"Heart…broken?" asked the boy, his mouth half-full of sweets.

"Yes. A terrible condition, but one with a lot of desire," the girl replied. "I suppose this could be seen as being at the right place at the right time."

Sniffling, Chuubou opened her eyes as she heard the words of the people in front of her, but only saw a pair of mummified feet in front of her and gray armoured feet like an elephant's or rhino's behind them.

Then an empty feeling appeared in her head and she lost all sensation.

LINE BREAK

"Chuubou! Kokin! Where are you guys?" Hakufu called, walking through the estate. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

Walking to the living room, Hakufu spotted her mother watching some daytime soap opera with a cup of tea in her hands, "Mom, have you seen Kokin or Chuubou anywhere?"

"Ankh-kun went out this morning," Goei answered flippantly, taking a sip of her tea. "Chuubou wanted to give him a bentou and I sent her after him. I don't think they went too far."

"Then do you know which way they went?" asked Hakufu.

"Hmmm," Goei pondered. "I wonder. It seems to have slipped my mind at the moment."

"Nnnngh!" Hakufu growled. "Your memory's going old lady."

"Toh!"

"Ow!" Hakufu was dealt the wrath of a karate chop as Goei managed to suddenly leap up from her spot and leap to where Hakufu was standing before delivering the attack. One may wonder how a housewife could do such attacks, but the woman was married to a Fighter and taught Hakufu a lot of what she knew.

"You should know better than to tease someone about their age," Goei frowned. "I know you're bored without Ankh or Chuubou to keep you company but you're just going to have to deal with it. Besides, what could be better than spending time with your mother?"

"Lots of things," Hakufu said offhandedly.

"Well, maybe you should go out and find something to do as well."

"Fine!" Hakufu grumped. "I'll go hang out with Mou-chan then!" With a huff, she turned and headed out of the room to go find her bluenette friend.

"Hm, that's a shame," Goei shrugged. She then broke out into a grin. "Oh well, maybe that hot guy in the coffee shop will be working today!"

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

Kanu was walking down the street, the dropped bento in her hand. After guessing that it had been the mysterious Sonken Chuubou who had dropped it, Kanu likewise discerned that she had heard all of the things which Ankh had said to her. Since she likely believed that Ankh was really Kokin and assuming she really wanted to be his wife, she likely took it hard. Despite her aloof personality at times, Kanu was a real softie at heart when it came to more intimate situations. It was why she let Ryuubi slack off so much where Chouhi would try to make her train. She didn't know where Chuubou could be found, but she did have a good idea where to find Hakufu. So she dared the Nanyo patrols to find Hakufu's house so she could return it. Since Nanyo, Seito, and even Kyosho were working together no one gave her a hard time for stepping onto Nanyo's turf. Just to be on the safe side though, she left her guandao at home so no one would think she was looking for a fight.

Turning to the corner, she noticed a Japanese estate building just a few meters ahead. She saw the words "Shu Household" on the sign of the building, as well as two black vending machines next to it.

"Looks like this is where they're staying," Kanu shrugged to herself. Before she could get within stepping distance of the entrance, a voice behind her made itself known.

"Kanu Unchou, I take it?"

Turning around, Kanu saw an unfamiliar blond girl in a green dress approach her casually. On her ear, her gold magatama sparkled in the sun. She had the looks of an innocent school girl, but straight look on her face spoke otherwise. She could be an assassin out with an Imperial Order against her, or...

"You must be the one who claims to be Sonken Chuubou," Kanu greeted.

"You have something of mine," Chuubou replied, stretching out her arm, "It's important I get it back."

"I was actually looking for you so I could return it," Kanu answered. In spite of that, she noticed something off about the girl's tone. From what Ankh said, she always seemed to be smiling, and was also incredibly cheerful. It might as well be the only thing she has in common with Hakufu. However, the girl she was looking at now seemed have no emotions betraying her face. Looking to the side behind Chuubou, she noticed something that looked like a red cuttlefish the size of a small dog hovering from behind her shoulder. But this cuttlefish had tentacles that look like boneless hands. It also had ridges on its back which look like a grasping hand.

"Yummy," the exotic girl mouthed. She had been turned into another Yummy host by the Greeed.

"It's my friend," Chuubou replied. "Now give me what I want."

Kanu frowned and backed away, taking a stance, "Not until you're free from the Yummy."

Chuubou frowned as the Cuttlefish Yummy's tentacles began to squirm, "I see. You want to give it to Kokin yourself."

Kanu frowned, "Excuse me?"

"I saw you with him," Chuubou frowned. "You were talking to him so casually. You obviously think you're so close to him. You want him don't you?"

Kanu withheld the urge to sweatdrop. While Kokin did seem like the right sort of guy, she wasn't interested in him more than a passing thing since she didn't know him that well. Since Ankh took him over, that interest was put on hold. Besides, she was much more interested in Ryuubi anyway!

"I won't let some ganguro girl come in take my Kokin!" Chuubou hissed. "He's mine, so get lost home-wrecker!"

"Just hold on for a moment! I know this isn't you!" Kanu tried to persuade her, "That Yummy is manipulating your thoughts!"

"Enough! Silence!" Chuubou shrieked as her battle aura flared. In response, the Cuttlefish Yummy moved forward and began to swarm Kanu. It lashed out and struck with its tentacles that stretched out in length for the attack. Kanu ducked and jumped backwards from each attack the came at her. Its speed and agility was making it very difficult for her to keep up, and with the bento in her hands she was practically handicap. She was starting to regret leaving her guandao at home.

"Give that to me!" Chuubou shrieked. The Yummy reacted in response and charged at Kanu once again. Kanu moved swiftly to avoid being struck, but mistakenly assumed that she was the target of the Yummy. The tentacles lashed out and struck the bento box, knocking it from Kanu's hand. It flew through the air, allowing the Yummy to capture it before hovering back to Chuubou's waiting hands.

"Ahhh," she smiled. "Now Kokin-niisama will feel my love in my cooking." She purred in a most satisfied way while Kanu grimaced at the sight. Then suddenly, there was a flash and the noise of coins rattling from behind Chuubou before a _second_ Cuttlefish Yummy rose up to accompany its fellow.

"Tsk!" Kanu frowned.

"Now," Chuubou frowned, looking to Kanu. "Kokin-niisama doesn't need a ganguro girl in his life. Go away!"

The eyes of the two Cuttlefish Yummies flashed before they dove at Kanu, doing a decent imitation of fighter planes as they flew at her. When they were close enough, they would lash out with their tentacles like whips, striking Kanu's body as she twisted and curved to avoid the blows. The strikes were powerful, leaving small cuts in her skin and tears in her clothes and clean slash marks on the concrete. She attempted to strike back, but the two Yummies were able to dodge her blows.

'_Dammit!_' Kanu cursed mentally as she backflipped away from the Yummies. Landing in a crouch, she eyed the Yummies charged at high speed towards heir, their tentacles firing out like small spears with all of them aimed at her vitals. Kanu grimaced and prepared to move again…

**SLASH!**

The tips of the tentacles were suddenly severed with a flash of steel. Kanu blinked and at first thought that Chou-un had followed her. She was soon proven wrong when she saw not the silver-haired swordswoman, but a woman in a black kimono with short hair and glasses. In her hands was a katanna and a frown.

"Who…?" Kanu blinked.

"Are you alright Unchou-san?" the woman asked.

Kanu's eyes widened, "How do…?"

"Hakufu talks about you from time to time," the woman replied. "My name's Goei, her mother." Kanu blinked as Goei turned her attention back towards Chuubou and the two Yummies. "Excuse me while I discipline my other child about accepting gifts from strangers."

"Goei-kaasama," Chuubou grimaced. "Are you against my and Kokin-niisama being together too?"

"Not at all," Goei shook her head. "But when you take things too far, that's when I have to be a mother and stand in."

"I had no choice. She was going to take Kokin-niisama from me," Chuubou insisted.

"What gave you that idea?" Kanu questioned, "Because you saw him speaking with me? Furthermore, you should know that Kokin isn't exactly feeling like himself these days."

"So you still try to dissuade me," Chuubou glared, pulling out what looked like an organic egg sack from... somewhere. "Very well. Then forgive me for what's about to happen next." There was yet another flash and a jingle of coins that came from the egg, and the two Cuttlefish Yummies were joined by another one. They didn't stop there as they all suddenly changed into coins and flashed as they all merged together. The flash dimmed as a new figure stood in front of Chuubou. It was red and humanoid, with moist and slippery flesh. A cloak of tentacles hung from its shoulders and it wore a black belt decorated with chains on its waist. Its feet were bare but webbed and made slapping noises on the ground as it moved. It looked as though one of the Yummies was serving as the head.

"Oh great," Kanu frowned. Just what they needed.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I going off to find Kokin-niisama to have some alone time with him," Chuubou perked up as she tossed the egg sack up and down, and turned to skipped away.

"Chuubou!" Goei shouted after the girl. The Cuttlefish Yummy quickly spat an ink ball to keep her at bay, which soon sizzled as it ate away at the concrete.

"It's the Yummy," Kanu explained. "It's intensified her desire for Kokin to make her act like this so to create an army. It's the same thing that happened to my leader, Ryuubi Gentoku."

"Oh my!" Goei gasped, covering her hand over her mouth.

"Can I borrow your sword?" Kanu asked.

"Can you use it?" Goei asked, handing the weapon over.

"Sometimes when I spar with Chou-un," Kanu answered, swinging the katana around to get a feel of it. "Call Hakufu and Ankh, quickly. I'll try to keep it busy."

"Very well," Goei nodded. She didn't like it, but she knew her own limits. "Just don't die before they get here. I'd feel horrible if I let a child die practically in front of my house, even if she is a Fighter of your caliber."

"The thought is appreciated," Kanu nodded. "Now go!"

Goei nodded and turned to head back to her house. Kanu raised the sword and charged to fight the new Yummy.

* * *

Ankh was lounging on a park bench with a popsicle he had swiped from a vendor. The man was busy with a bunch of little kids so he got away with it cleanly. It was cherry so he was content for a while. The only thing that could make this better was…

**JINGLE! JINGLE!**

Ankh's eyes bulged as he sat up in a hurry, a grin overcoming his lips. Tossing the popscicle to the side, he yanked out his cell phone and dialed up one of the numbers.

"_Moshi moshi?_" Hakufu's voice came up.

"Hakufu, get moving! There's a Yummy on the move!" Ankh barked. "It's at-!"

"_Hold on a sec Ankh-chan, Mom's calling me._"

LINE BREAK

Hakufu sat on one of the handrail with an ice cream in hand as she received the second call. "Mom?"

_"Hakufu!"_ Goei's voice said in an unnatural panic._ "Come home quickly! It's Chuubou!"_

"Chuubou?" Hakufu eyes widened, fearing for her sister, "What happened?"

_"Is one of those Yummy things! She's become a host!"_

"WHAT?" Hakufu gasped, actually dropping her ice cream in shock.

_"Your friend Kanu came by to return Chuubou's bento when those things attacked_!" Goei continued. "_She's outside trying to hold them off right now, but you'd better get to here quickly!" _

"Alright, I'll call Ankh!" Hakufu said before switching over to Ankh's phone line, "Ankh-chan! It's Chuubou! One of the Greeed got to her!"

"_I was going to tell you that you twit!_" Ankh bellowed. "_Wait, the annoying twit? She's the host this time?_' Ankh's voice trailed off into silent cursing. "_Just perfect. This was exactly what I needed to make my day better._"

"No complaints!" Hakufu snapped, running for one of the black vending machines while riffling through her pockets for a Cell Medal. "We're going to save my sister! Hop to it!"

"_Don't order me around you-!_" Ankh barked, but was cut off as Hakufu ended the connection so she could concentrate on what she was doing. Her sister needed her and she was going to help!

LINE BREAK

Meanwhile, Kanu was still holding her own against the Cuttlefish Yummy. It would seem that this Yummy was definitely much stronger than the White Yummies which she fought before. She made sure to stay clear away from the acidic ink that it spat at her. Each missed round sizzled as it melted asphalt, portions of buildings and even trees.

Kanu growled as she rushed forward, sliding underneath another ink bullet, and struck with a downward slash. While she was more used with using a guandao, a katana was still very much a useful weapon. The way Chou-un used hers was proof of that. The Cuttlefish Yummy staggered backwards before she leaped after it. The Yummy sent its tentacles to stop her, but Kanu quickly slashed at them, causing them to fall into pieces. Once within striking distance, she focused her Chi into her palm for a single burst of power and slapped it onto the monster's chest, making it fly backwards several feet and getting Cell Medals to spill from the wound in the process.

Despite the situation, the sight of the wound made her smile. It seemed her extra training was beginning to help. Well, that and the fact that Mezul's Yummies according to Ankh were known more for their quantity rather than their quality. Still, it meant that she had a chance of actually driving the Yummy off instead of simply being a distraction.

The Cuttlefish Yummy hit the ground roughly with a few Cell Medals spilling around it, but it recovered quickly and got back up to its feet. Inhaling deeply, it sent a stream of acidic ink across the distance, which made Kanu leap to the side and avoid it. The ink splattered across the asphalt and quickly began eating the material away to create a pothole.

The Yummy made a wet gurgling sound which Kanu felt was a mocking chuckle as she heard it begin to approach, "He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious." Kanu's eyebrows rose in surprise. Was it actually quoting Sun Tzu? Not good! This one might be of a strategic mindset! "You…are outmatched."

Frowning, Kanu stared down on her opponent as they both circled one another, during the other to make a move. Both suddenly dashed toward each other for the attack. The Cuttlefish Yummy struck with a chain of kicks and punches, but Kanu managed to block each blow with her sword. She then countered with a kick to the midsection, and then hooked her foot on the abdomen before kicking off, sending it flying backwards and crashing into a fence. The Yummy recovered quickly and lashed out with its tentacles again. Kanu rolled to left to avoid the swarming whips, only to get tackled to a wall. The Yummy held her in a vice like grip. Grimacing, Kanu bashed her knee onto its chest several times before its grip started to loosen. Its arms finally slackened, she pushed it off her with a roundhouse.

Kanu eyed the Yummy warily, slightly short of breath. She was bound and determined to stop this Yummy or at least hold it off.

**VROOOM!**

Attention was turned to down the street when a familiar motorcycle speeding towards them. The rider of course was a familiar sight to the Nanyo area. She sped past between the two before skidding to a halt. Leaping off the bike, the rider tossed her helmet aside to reveal Hakufu Sonsaku with a deep frown on her face.

"Okay squidface! Where's my sister?-!" she demanded hotly.

"Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move," the Cuttlefish Yummy replied.

"Huh?"

"It means he's not going to tell you!" Standing above the group on top of the territorial walls was Ankh. His true arm was revealed with familiar red, yellow, and green Medals in his fingers. "Now kill the damn thing and get me Cell Medals!"

He tossed the three Medals to Hakufu who caught them easily. Reaching into one of her pockets, she produced the O-Driver and strapped it to her waist. She then slotted the Medals into place before locking the buckle in place and swiping the O-Scanner across the Medals. "Henshin!"

"**TAKA! TORA! BATTA!**"

"**TA-TO-BA TATOBA TA-TO-BA!**"

With the transformation complete, OOO leaped over the gap between her and the Yummy and started her assault. She sent a kick to its midsection, which the he managed to block. She continued her attacks with several more roundhouse kicks, each one shimmering in green with each swipe. The Cuttlefish Yummy worked its way around each kick as he analyzed his opponent. He struck back with a kick to OOO's left shoulder and another to her chest armour, causing her to skid back.

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized!" the Cuttlefish Yummy hissed as it started spiting a salvo of ink bullets. OOO swerved around each one before it came into contact, each missed around creating a heated explosion. OOO roared as she lunged forward and delivered rapid stop kicks on to the Cuttlefish Yummy's chest, causing it to stagger backwards with each blow. The Cuttlefish Yummy growled, rushing over with a flying kick. OOO caught the sole of its foot and tossed to into the air. The Yummy didn't stop once it landed back on the ground. It charged again and sent its fist flying. OOO traded the blows before it managed to take hold of her leg.

"Not gonna let you!" OOO shouted as she maundered her other leg over the Yummy to get herself loose. She followed by trying to get it to trip with a low sweep, though the Yummy evaded with an aerial cartwheel. She continued with a roundhouse kick, but the Yummy continued to slip from that as well.

Still OOO wouldn't be derailed. She had to save her sister, damn it! Allowing her Batta Legs to be charged up, she jumped up to the air and spun herself in ball, landing a kick on the Cutterfish Yummy before it could react. It flew backwards as Cell Medals flew from its wound, but it kicked of a wall to counterattack.

"**TRIPLE SCANNING CHARGE!"**

It was better off staying down. Just as the Yummy approached, OOO swung her Medajilabur right through the middle of it. Without even making a noise, the Yummy crashed and instantly exploded in flames and Cell Medals.

"Okay, did that do it?" asked the armoured Sho Hao. "Will Chuubou be back to normal now?"

"Baka!" Ankh snapped, leaping down from his perch. He crossed the distance with his eyes trained on the Cell Medals on the ground. "It was one of Mezul's Yummies. There's going to be a whole lot more where those came from unless we get to the nest."

"Oooooh!" OOO whined, stomping her foot, "I hope Chuubou will be okay until we finish off the Yummy."

"That's going to be difficult to accomplish," Kanu spoke, approaching the duo. "She's holding the nest. It's all inside of one single egg that she's carrying around."

"Tsk!" Ankh frowned. "A moving nest. How troublesome."

"Do we know what she wants?" asked OOO.

"Kokin," Kanu answered, gesturing at Ankh. "She overheard you badmouthing her back when you dealt with those other Fighters. She dropped a bento she no doubt made for you and I was bringing it back when she jumped me with the Yummy. She thought I wanted Kokin for myself."

"Huh?" OOO blinked, but then another aspect of the conversation came to her. "Ankh-chan! You made Chuubou cry you jerk!"

"Do I look like I care?" Ankh scoffed.

"Damn it, it's your fault that Mezul-chan got to Chuubou!" OOO shouted as she started chasing after the Bird Greeed in a fit of anger. "And you're gonna fix it!"

"What do you expect me to do?-!" Ankh shouted after her.

"You're the one she wants so think of something!"

"Stupid! I want no part of it!"

"Hey! You called me stupid again! People who call other people stupid are really the stupid ones!"

"Toh!"

"OW!" both OOO and Ankh cried as the both received chops to their heads. One could only wonder how OOO could feel such a thing through her helmet, or how Goei popped out of nowhere to deliver the punishment.

"Now's not the time to be arguing," Goei abolished, frowning at the both of them. "What we need to do is figure out how to get the nest away from Chuubou. Ankh-san, is it safe to assume that Chuubou will return to her normal self once the nest is destroy?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Ankh answered, still rubbing the goose egg on his head, "As long as the nest is active, she will be stuck following her desires. If the nest is gone, she'll be back to her irritatingly cheerful self."

"Then the first priority is to reclaim the nest from Chuubou," Kanu said. "I just hope the Yummies haven't attracted the attention of the other Fighters yet."

"My apologies, but can you hold off on exterminating the Yummies until later?"

"Eh?" OOO blinked and turned to where the new voice came from. Come from the other side of the street was a middle-aged man with short black hair, dressed in a black coat and glasses. In his right hand was a metal briefcase which looked like something bank guards might carry. On his left arm he carried a creepy looking doll. It was bald and dressed in a white suit. OOO cringed at the sight of it.

"Who are you?" Kanu demanded, "And what do you mean by holding off on exterminating the Yummies?"

"Ah, yes," the man realized, although he shifted his gaze to the doll on his arm as he spoke, "We have not yet introduced ourselves. My name is Dr. Kiyoto Maki. I am the creator of OOO's equipment."

"Wait," OOO realized. "You're the one who created the sword, the motorcycles and the little robots?"

"You are correct," Dr. Maki answered.

"What do you mean by leaving the Yummy alone?" Ankh asked suspiciously, approaching the strange doctor.

Without looking away from his doll, Dr. Maki continued, "I am currently conducting an experiment which requires the Yummy to be functional for a set period of time. I would be most appreciative if you would refrain from destroying it for twenty-four hours."

"Huh?-!" OOO gaped.

"Are you insane?" Kanu demanded hotly. "Don't you know how much damage those things would do in that amount of time?-!"

"Since Ankh's host is the target, the chances for catastrophic damage are rather limited," Dr. Maki argued. "However, I am willing to offer compensation in return for your inaction."

"Oh yeah?" Ankh frowned. "And what could you offer us?"

Dr. Maki glanced at Ankh before he set down his briefcase. Laying it on its side, he undid the latches and opened it, all while keeping his doll from falling off of his shoulder. Once the case was open, he turned it around to allow everyone else to see. Ankh's eyes bulged while the collected women openly gasped at the sight. Lining the case to the point of near bursting were rows upon rows of Cell Medals.

"I offer 1000 Cell Medals as payment," Dr. Maki offered.

Ankh frowned and looked at the score of Cell Medals, trying not to show his blatant eagerness for them. Looking up to the doctor and back to the collection of Cell Medals, he considered his options for a moment. After that moment, he looked up to the doctor, "Deal."

"What?-!" Kanu gasped.

"Ankh-chan!" OOO gaped. "What about Chuubou?-!"

"What do I care?" Ankh shrugged, slamming the case shut and picking it up. Turning to the doctor, he continued, "You've got twenty-four hours. After that, the Yummy is toast. Understand?"

"Perfectly," Dr. Maki nodded to his doll. "A most satisfactory end to our negotiations."

The doll-wielding doctor then walked away from the scene, leaving Kanu, OOO, and Goei to glare at the possessed boy.

"Do you realize what you just did?" Kanu glared, "You made a deal with over the Cell Medals to leave the Yummies be for 24 hours!"

"Correction," Ankh replied. "The doctor said OOO couldn't interfere. He never said anything about the other Fighters."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Goei asked.

"He asked us not to interfere with the Yummies for the whole day," Ankh repeated, throwing the case over his shoulders. "But he won't count on the other Fighters confronting the Yummies. Since this is Mezul's batch we're dealing with, they might have a better chance. As long as the egg that the brat is holding is undamaged, it'll be fine."

"You made the deal knowing that?" Goei blinked.

"I've already got more Cell Medals than I expected for today, so I've got no complaints," Ankh shrugged.

"Yeah, well what about Chuubou?" OOO argued, "What if she stays like that forever?"

"Not likely," Ankh huffed, "As the egg is the source of her greed."

"Actually Hakufu," Kanu began, "I don't think that Chuubou is really who she says she is."

"Huh?" OOO turned to the tall girl while Goei seemed to stiffen, "What do you mean? She is my sister... right?"

"Think about for a moment," Kanu continued, "Do you know about the Two Qiaos?"

"Umm..." OOO pondered, crossing her arms. "Oh! They were called the two greatest beauties of the Three Kingdoms era! They were also partly the reason why the Battle of Red Cliffs happened because King Sousou Motoku had a crush on them or something."

"That's right," Kanu nodded, "Except the Two Qiaos were already married at the time. The eldest, Daikyo, was married to your ancestor, while the youngest, Shokyo, was married to his sworn brother. Ring any bells?"

Now most people who knew OOO knew that she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Sure she was a very accomplished martial artist, but that was about the only thing she was brilliant in. Still, when the situation calls for it, she figured out pretty much anything. Almost.

These were one of those times.

"EEEEEHH!-?" OOO gaped loudly, "Chuubou is Shokyo!-? One of the Qiao sisters!-?"

"Haha! I knew that little pipsqueak couldn't be related you!" Ankh laughed, before the name finally sunk in, "Wait... that means she's his fiancée! Damn it, no wonder she's been pining after me like a lost dog!" He turned to Goei, and saw the paled expression on her face. "And you knew that, didn't you?"

"Is that true?" Kanu asked.

Goei hesitated slightly, but nodded. "Yes, I did."

"You knew?" OOO asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I promised not to say anything," Goei answered. "You see, Chuubou- I mean Shokyo has been receiving nightmares that involved Kokin, and I think that it may have something to with his... current condition. She called me sometime after Ankh first appeared here to make the necessary arrangements."

"So she could keep an eye on me without revealing who she really was," Ankh frowned. "Smart girl."

"I hope you aren't upset about it, Hakufu," Goei addressed her daughter, "She only wanted to see if Kokin was alright. She didn't mean to deceive you."

"Don't worry about, Mom," OOO shook her head, "Chuubou is still Chuubou to me, so she's still my sister. The only thing I'm worried about is what the Yummies are doing to her."

Goei smiled. Hakufu was always able to forgive easily. As long as the person had no truly ill intentions, she had no reason to hate them. It's the way she always was. Part of her actually hoped that this personality trait of her daughter could bring an end to all the violence in Kanto.

"Glad that's over with," Kanu sighed, reaching out for her phone, "Guess we'll just have to take his suggestion and rally the other Fighters to keep the monsters at bay for the next 24 hours."

"Fine," Hakufu sighed as she undid her transformation, "You call Seito and I'll get Mou-chan. I'm sure she'll tell Sou-chi about everything too."

"Then you both better get to it," Ankh said as he walked back to the estate, "I'm gonna count these Cell Medals so no one bother me."

"I'm still mad at you for making that deal," Hakufu glared after him. "In fact, I'm gonna tell Mou-chan that you're the reason why we can't save Chuubou."

"Seconded," Kanu added.

"Whatever," Ankh snorted.

LINE BREAK

Chuubou wandered around the streets, holding the egg sack in her arms. Nobody gave her a second look at first since the egg sack could be mistaken for a bag filled with shopping items and such. She looked like her mind was a million miles away, but otherwise she wouldn't stand out in the least compared to other people in the district.

Reaching another street, Chuubou idly looked around her several shops were open and accepting customers. She spotted a confectionary, a florist, and even a jeweler. Each of the shops were merely average, but they stood out like neon lights to Chuubou.

"Kokin-niisama and I will need flowers for our first date," she murmured. "Candy for a daytime picnic would be good too. He'll need a ring to propose to me with."

The egg sack began to glow.

LINE BREAK

"Wait, you can't go after the Yummies because Ankh made a deal with your sponsor?" Ryomou blinked. She was with Saji and Gakushu in their usual patrols. All of them where using the RideVendors, making their jobs a bit easier. Each of them were equipped with a Batta Candroid which allowed them to communicate with each other or receive calls from other Candroids.

_"The creepy guy with the doll bribed him with 1000 Cell Medals to make us leave the Yummy alone for the day,"_ Hakufu answered over Batta Candroid. _"But Ankh-chan says that the man didn't involve you or the other Fighters in the deal, so you can go after the Yummies without breaking it."_

"That figures," Saji said coolly, "Leave it to Ankh-chan to find loopholes to slip through."

"You said that girl Chuubou is the host this time," Gakushu said. "Do you know where she could be now?"

_"No I don't,"_ Hakufu sighed. _"She could be anywhere, and Ankh-chan won't talk." _

"Well, what's here desire then?" asked Saji. "If we know that we can probably figure out where she's going."

"_Well…_" Hakufu began, sounding reluctant.

"Hakufu, this is no time for cold feet!" Ryomou scolded.

"_Okay, okay!_" Hakufu replied, sounding slightly upset. "_Chuubou wants Kokin. He's the whole reason why she's here. She wants to be together with him and she had been receiving nightmares about him which Mom says might be connected to what happened to him with Ankh-chan._"

"Aren't you cousins though?" asked Gakushu. Sure in Japan cousins can get married but…

"…_Chuubou isn't her real name. She's not related to me by blood,_" Hakufu mumbled through her Candroid. "_She's one of the Two Qiaos. She's Shokyo, Kokin's destined wife._"

"No shit?" Saji blinked before letting out a whistle. "Wow. I might have a rival with Kokin after all. He can seduce a woman even when he's in a coma. My hat's off to the guy."

Ryomou frowned, already guessing that Chuubou hadn't been related to Hakufu at all. She feared that the girl was some kind of spy or assassin despite her gentle behavior, but this was likely a best case scenario. Now they knew that Chuubou, or rather Shokyo, wasn't going to be a threat to their leader outside of being made a Yummy host.

"So if her desire is Kokin, shouldn't she be wanting to go where Ankh is?" asked Gakushu. "Why would she run away? To regroup?"

"_Well, maybe she wants to get things she wants to give to Kokin?_" asked Hakufu.

"That makes sense," Saji pointed out, "One of the best ways to romance a cute girl is with flowers and jewelry. She might have sent the Yummies to collect some."

"So when need to keep an eye on florists and jewellers," Ryomou listed. Looks like Saji's knowledge on how to woo women might be useful this time. "That should narrow things down."

_"Kanu came by earlier to return Chuubou's bento and had to fend off the Yummies before I got here,"_ Hakufu added, _"She's telling Seito right now. Kyosho might find out sooner or later."_

"Alright," Ryomou nodded. "We'll handle this from here on. Ryomou out."

* * *

**Seito**

The Tiger Generals of Seito and the Barbarian King were inside a group training session inside the dojo which the private school sported. Ryuubi and Chou-un were seated at the side, the latter with her ever present katana at her side and her senses trained on the spar which was going on between Shamoku and Chouhi.

"Chou-san, Sham-chan, gambatte!" Ryuubi cheered for her friends.

Sure enough, the two Fighters the leader was cheering for were in the midst of a heated spar. Chouhi was moving through every martial arts move in her arsenal while Shamoku moved like your average brawler. On paper, the one who would be victorious should be simple, but if the Fighters were so predictable then the war between the schools would have been very different even before the Greeed came into the picture.

Despite having no real training of his own, Shamoku had the instincts of a man who had been through hundreds of fights. He could tell from signals Chouhi's body made when she attacked where she was going to try and strike next. Add in his natural talent for battle and it became clear that he could match Chouhi on the battlefield easily.

Shamoku blocked an incoming kick and forced Chouhi back, making her acrobatically twisted in the air and back to the ground. "Pretty good, Chou-chan!" he grinned.

"Not bad yourself! You defiantly live up to your name!" Chouhi praised back.

"So, how about we keep going?" Shamoku asked as he got himself in another stance.

"Didn't need to ask," Chouhi grinned as she prepared herself for another attack.

As the pair prepared to go for another round, the door to the dojo opened to reveal Koumei, looking more like a serious young woman than the child she usually was, "I'm afraid that's enough training for today."

"What is, Koumei?" Ryuubi asked.

"I just got a call from Kanu," Koumei answered, a Gorilla Candroid passing by her feet as it made its noise. Everyone could now guess why she was here, but she answered anyway. "More Yummies have appeared."

"Did she say who the victim is?" Chou-un asked as she grabbed her blade and stood up.

"Yes," Koumei nodded. "It's Shokyo, one of the two Qiaos. Apparently, she went under the name of Chuubou Sonken so to get closer to Kokin Shuyu, or rather Ankh-san, without him knowing who she truly was. From this we can already assume what her desire is."

"Yandere, huh?" Shamoku frowned, "Just what we need."

"There is also another problem," Koumei continued. "The creator of our new equipment has bribed Ankh-san with 1000 Cell Medals to keep OOO from interfering for 24 hours in order to continue his research on the Yummies."

"What?-!" Chouhi gaped, giving voice to the disbelief of the others. "Why that double-crossing-!"

"Ankh-san has made his position clear to us in the past," Koumei reminded her fellow Tiger General. "All he wants are his Core Medals and Cell Medals in order to make himself complete. I suppose 1000 Cell Medals were too much for him to resist."

"When I get my hands on him..." Shamoku growled.

"How many Yummies are we dealing with?" asked Chou-un, keeping her feelings of slight betrayal at the sidelines where they belonged.

"According to Kanu, these ones are Cuttlefish Yummies that rely more on quantity rather than on quality," Koumei replied. "Ankh-san believes that since these Yummies will be of a poorer quality than the others, the average Fighter will be able to hold them off or even destroy them. However, it seems that they also speak in the quotations of Sun Tzu, so it's likely that they have a strategic mindset."

"So where do we look?" asked Ryuubi.

"By my best guess, Shokyo, or rather Chuubou, will be setting out to claim aspects of what she believes to be the best aspects to achieve her desire for Kokin Shuyu. I would suggest we search places associated with marriage and relationships. Wedding stores, florists, confectionaries, and the like."

"Alright, then it seems like we're going to have to split up to knock down a some Yummies. We might even need to mobilize some of the other Fighters to," Shamoku said.

"We'd better get to it then, coz we've got our work cut out for us with OOO temporally out of the picture," Chouhi growled, cracking her knuckles, "And after that, I've got some few words for that birdbrain."

"I understand how you feel, but please remember that Ankh-san is the only thing keeping Kokin Shuyu alive," Koumei told her. They had been all told about how one of the earlier Yummies sent put him in a coma when he thought it was after Hakufu, "If anything happens to Ankh-san in the state he's currently in, Shuyu could die."

"How do we even know if he won't kill Shuyu after getting his body back?" Shamoku asked.

"That I can't say for sure, but the only thing we can do now is follow his advice," Koumei sighed.

"Damn, and in the meantime he's grabbing more Cell Medals to make that body of his," Chouhi frowned. "If he ever does get his body, I'm gonna have to find a super powered armor so I can deal with him myself!"

"Yeah. Good luck with that," Shamoku muttered.

* * *

**Kyosho**

Sousou was inside one of the classrooms, pondering the most recent events. The Greeed and then OOO were tricky enough, but then finding out that OOO was Hakufu Sonsaku was something of a shocker. The Haoryuu within Sousou didn't like that very much, being enraged over the fact that one of its fellow kings had something that it didn't.

The soul of the first Sousou wanted the power of OOO, whispered urgently for his reincarnation to take the power that should be used by a true king. The modern Sousou fought it though. This was not the kind of situation that needed infighting for selfishness to make the situation worse. The Greeed were way more powerful than a regular Fighter and not even he was able to stand against just one of them. The spirit thankfully understood that much and kept its attempts at manipulating him to a minimum.

With him were of course Kaku, Kakuka, and Kakoton. The basics enthusiast managed to survive his scrape with serious injury with only several bandages over his eye. The glass caused some damage to his eye, but if he managed to keep it from receiving further trauma then there was a good chance that it would recover without any hindering of his eyesight. Of course, that hinged on keeping the enthusiast out of fighting for a while and that would be difficult when it came to watching his friends fight.

"So OOO was Hakufu Sonsaku the whole time?" Kakuka spoke, his eyebrow arching. Sousou had told his Generals about what happened the other day when the Firefly Yummies came back for Chukou and Kakoken. "I guess that explains why Ryomou was there when Ton-chan got possessed. But still, really?"

"Hard to believe but I saw her change myself. She seems to know how to use the armor's powers pretty well too," Sousou sighed. "There's a lot more going on than we know."

"Well, at least we can trust Sonsaku, right?" asked Kakoton. "I mean, from what I know of her she's the straightforward honest type."

"You'd know since you're dating her mother," Kaku commented.

"I am not!" Kakoton snapped back.

"That's not what she seemed to think when I bumped into her the other day," Sousou grinned, "She was asking me if you had any free time to spare."

"That's not funny!" Kakoton frowned. It seemed that the deal he made with the older woman at the last Big Fighters Tournament was following him everywhere. It didn't help matters that Goei was extremely attractive in spite of being someone's mother.

Further teasing would have followed about Kakoton's tastes were in not from the hooting noises coming from the gathered students' bags. Almost as if on cue, the bags were unzipped from the inside before Gorilla Candroids began hopping out, waving their arms and making their eyes flash brightly.

"Yummies," Kaku frowned, adjusting her glasses.

"Then let's go," Kakuka nodded, standing up.

"Oh yeah! Payback time!" Kakoton grinned, leaping up.

"No way, Ton-chan," Sousou frowned as he got up. "You've got a bad handicap and we don't want it to become a permanent one by getting you involved in a fight. You're grounded."

"But-!" the teen tried to argue.

"No arguments," Sousou frowned. "Your job is to recover."

Kakoton groaned, "Fine."

"If you want to feel useful, then put the other Fighters on high alert," Kaku told him, "Have them monitor the area too."

"Yeah, I'll do that," Kakoton nodded.

"Good. Alright you two, let's go," Sousou beckoned and Kakoton and Kaku followed. That left Kakoton to flip open his cell phone.

"I just hope this Yummy ain't as bad as the one's we've dealt with so far," Kakoton muttered as he dialed. "Then again, that's just wishful thinking."

* * *

**Kanto**

The streets were in chaos as people were running and screaming to get away from the epicentre of it all. All around them, humanoid Cuttlefish Yummies were busting into or out of stores, grabbing everything from jewelry and candy, to dresses and bundles of flowers. They ignored the civilians or simply smacked them aside to get what they wanted.

In the core of it all, walking in the middle of the streets in the midst of a pile of romantic goods was Chuubou, holding the egg in her hands like a small child. Every time one of the Yummies would give her their goods, several small Cuttlefish Yummies would pop out of the egg before fusing into another humanoid Yummy which would join its siblings in its pillaging.

"Soon, Kokin-niisama," she whispered. A blue aura flared around her as a disturbing smile appeared on her lips, "Soon out wedding will begin."

**To Be Continued... **

* * *

**Omake Segment: Count the Medals**

"Hi everybody!" Hakufu cheered as she jumped onto the colorful stage with the confetti falling around her. "Welcome back to another awesome episode of Count the Medals. I'm your hostess with the most-est, Hakufu Sonsaku! And joining me today is Seito's leader, Ryuubi Gentoku!"

More cheers erupted as the bespectacled brunette walked on to the stage, waving shyly with a small smile. "It's great to be here."

"Today we're in a real fix!" Hakufu cried. "My little sister is possessed by a Yummy and now she's on the rampage and Ankh-chan won't give up any Core Medals so OOO can fight!"

"It's awful!" Ryuubi agreed. "We need OOO-sama to be able to beat the Yummies! What will we do?"

"Anything we can Ryu-chan!" Hakufu insisted. "In the meantime though, we've got a job to do here."

"Right," the timid leader nodded. "Today we're looking at another Core Medal and this time it's…"

"**KUWAGATA!**"

"The Kuwagata Medal!" Ryuubi smiled. "This one is a green Core Medal which is marked with a stag beetle across its surface."

"It also lets m…uh, OOO take on the Kuwagata Head," Hakufu added, sparing a small glance at Ryuubi when she paused. "It let m…him shoot lightning from his head which is super useful when there's a fight against multiple opponents!"

"OOO-sama was so amazing when he last used it," Ryuubi sighed, looking dreamily into the distance.

"He?" Hakufu mumbled in confusion. Shrugging, she continued. "Since the Core Medal is green and has an insect theme, we know that this Medal comes from Uva. We have one already, but Uva-chan is going to want it back."

"OOO-sama can beat him!" Ryuubi insisted. "He's incredible!"

"He?" Hakufu blinked again. Shaking her head, she continued. "Anyway, that's all the time we have for Count the Medals! So, this is Hakufu Sonsaku."

"And Ryuubi Gentoku!"

"Signing out!" Hakufu beamed. "Be sure to keep an eye out for the next chapter. Bye bye!"

* * *

**TAILSMO4EVER: **This is an interesting development. Let's how Hakufu can coop with this.

**KAMEN RIDER CHROME:** I didn't really do much with this chapter except edit and the like, but I like how it looked once it was completed. Great job to Tailsmo and Ten-Faced Paladin.

**Ten-Faced Paladin**: And now Chuubou becomes the next victim, forcing her true identity to be revealed. Hakufu doesn't care, but will anyone else?


End file.
